Contactless payment cards used for one million bus journeys in London

Plans to roll out contactless across London

One million bus journeys in London have now been paid for using a contactless debit, credit or charge card. Up to 10,000 people a day are using their contactless payment card to pay their bus fare.

This is an encouraging sign to Transport for London (TfL) that Londoners are keen to make the most of this easy and convenient way to pay for their travel.

In the four months since the launch of contactless payments on buses on 13 December 2012 the number of people using their contactless payment card has continued to rise each week. 

From 2,061 people making 2,586 journeys paid for on their contactless payment card on the first day in December, up to 10,000 people are now making as many as 16,000 journeys each day.

The option of paying a bus fare using a contactless payment card means that instead of fumbling for change or finding their Oyster card has run out of credit, bus passengers are able to use the contactless payment card they already have in their pocket to pay their fare.

Around 1,000 new contactless payment cards are touched on to the readers on London’s 8,500 buses each day, indicating that it isn’t just the same people each week who are choosing the convenience of paying their fares this way.

The take-up is encouraging as plans progress for the roll out of contactless payments on to the Tube, DLR, London Overground and trams at the end of the year.

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