Last week a VB reader pointed us towards an article about a bus company in Hampshire, Bluestar, had started using an Oyster Card-type card for their bus journeys.
As Bluestar was part of the Go Ahead Group, that Southern Vectis is part of, they wondered if they’d be coming on the Isle of Wight.
We got in touch with Marc Morgan-Huws, who runs Southern Vectis, he told us …
Go Ahead is rolling out its smartcard ‘the key’ across its non London bus and rail businesses. Southern Vectis should go live in mid April, prior to which we will run a promotional campaign. The machines have been fitted to buses for a while now, and are reading the free travel passes.
The card will be available to be loaded with the current 7,30 and 90 day passes, and a new ‘multi-day’ pass. The multi day will offer customers an electronic book of day tickets, which can be used on any individual days of their choice. It will offer a significant discount on single prices, and be ideally suited to customers who travel regularly, but not often enough to warrant a continuous 7, 30 or 90 day pass.
Other opportunities will be rolled out later, including continuous monthly payments.
