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Walrus smart card
reaches million ticket milestone
MERSEYTRAVEL'S smart ticketing
scheme; already the most active outside London; has reached a major
milestone this week with a million tickets sold on Walrus cards since they
launched in November 2014.
It is estimated that more than 40% of new UK smart cards issued during the
last 12 months have been Walrus cards.
Tickets currently available in 'smart' format are pre-paid weekly and
adult 4 weekly Solo tickets which can be used on any bus across
Merseyside, and Saveaways; the off peak day ticket for buses trains and
ferries.
Walrus cards can be 'loaded' at around 800 PayPoint outlets across
Merseyside, which has more than doubled the number of places from which
Saveaways can be purchased and has significantly increased the availability
of Solos, which were originally available from only 50 outlets.
There are plans for more tickets to go 'smart' on the Walrus card
later this year including some commercial operators' weekly bus tickets,
subject to the 'Bus Alliance'; a partnership between Merseytravel,
Arriva and Stagecoach; being formally agreed.
Also in the next 12 months, there are plans for popular Merseyrail tickets
to move to Walrus and for the introduction of carnet tickets for bus travel.
These will allow people to load a number of tickets on their cards for use
on non-consecutive days, making them particularly suitable for part time
workers who may not get the best value out of weekly tickets.
Overall, Merseytravel and operators are seeking to transform the approach to
tickets and ticket buying in the Liverpool City Region. The focus remains on
making the process more convenient, utilising technology and simplifying the
zonal system and price structures where possible.
Longer term the aim is to build on and help shape the work of Transport for
the North to develop a common approach to smart ticketing across the North.
Said Cllr Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel:- "To go from no
commercial smart ticketing scheme to one million ticket sales in just 15
months is incredible.
What makes it even more of an achievement is that Walrus has been available
right across Merseyside for less than a year, with Saveaway; the first
ticket to go smart; on a Wirral only trial up until March 2015.
Walrus is now the most active smart ticketing scheme outside London, yet we
are still very much in the infancy of what is possible. Working with
operators, we will, this year, broaden the ticket choice available, hand in
hand with simplifying fare structures and zones to make it easier for people
to tell whether the ticket they are buying is the best value of them.
Our progress and achievements with Walrus to date will feed into the work
being carried out by Transport for the North to ultimately aid seamless
travel across the North."
Said Andrew Jones, Transport Minister:- "The success of Merseyside's
Walrus card shows customers value smart ticketing that makes their lives
easier. We will continue to support Merseytravel as they increase the range
of tickets available on the card this year. Smart ticketing is a key
part of our plan to build a Northern Powerhouse and the Walrus card is a
shining example that I want to see other areas follow."
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