New travel app makes buying bus tickets easier in York

York has about 200,000 inhabitants and is a popular tourist destination thanks to its historical landmarks and cultural events. The city is served by 3 independent bus operators and by additional larger operators running their lines through and around the city area.

Now, the 3 independent operators, Reliance Motor Services, York Pullman and Connexionsbuses, are making life easier for their users by installing a single ticketing app called 'myTrip'. This multi-operator bus ticketing system app includes services like cashless and contact-free ticket purchase, gifting tickets and operates with real-time data by tracking the busses. At the service providers’ side, 'myTrip' supports the 3 companies for managing social distancing requirements, too.

Gary Newby, Managing Director of Reliance Motor Services, has stated that: “The response to the app has been fantastic. The option to gift tickets has been a game-changer for parents wanting to manage their children’s tickets for school or college and the ability to track the bus to the stop means parent and child have more confidence in the service full stop."

Craig Temple, Managing Director of Connexionsbuses said: “’We have been looking for a secure and reliable mobile ticketing app for some time, and 'myTrip' is perfect for us. Our partner schools and parents particularly appreciate the live tracking so they can see where buses are in real-time.”

Technology like the 'myTrip; app is still rather rare in smaller-scaled cities in the UK, US and Europe, albeit the reliance on public transport services is similar as in the larger cities. Solutions like 'myTrip' in York are increasing the attractiveness of and confidence in public transport use, and this kind of technology will no doubt be seen more and more in other cities soon.

Article published first at Intelligent Transport on 14th of January 2021.