• Transport for Wales and twenty-five local operators are collaborating with Littlepay and Ticketer to introduce a unified multi-operator capping scheme in North Wales.
• Littlepay’s contactless EMV fare capping service, managed by the local transit authority, is now available across nearly 200 bus routes in the region.

Today, Littlepay announces the launch of a new multi-operator contactless EMV scheme in North Wales. The transit payment infrastructure is collaborating with Transport for Wales, Ticketer and twenty-five local transit operators to deliver a seamless public transit experience for the riders in the counties of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham. 

The initiative, managed by Transport for Wales, gives passengers the freedom to travel across multiple bus operators without having to plan and purchase a multi-operator ticket in advance. This modern approach to ticketing provides travellers with the reassurance that each ride will be charged at the best available rate. 

“This innovative solution will simplify the payment process for customers and give them confidence that they are consistently receiving great value for money when travelling by bus throughout North Wales. This is a ‘first in UK’ multi-operator scheme of this scope, which Transport for Wales are proud to be supporting on behalf of the people of Wales. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this new service.”

Huw Morgan, Head of Integrated Transport at TfW

All twenty-five participating operators were existing Littlepay merchants and were able to bring together their offerings using the Littlepay Broker service. This service handles the complexities of multi-operator ticketing while giving operators and authorities the data and tools to ensure complete transparency between all parties for support, reconciliation and auditing. TfW have provided a bi-ligual, centralised passenger portal available in Welsh and English. Passengers can securely enter their payment card details to access journey history and process refund requests across all participating operators. 

“Riders want a hassle-free journey on public transport and unifying transit operators under a regional multi-operator scheme makes travelling from A to B a stress-free experience. Public transit becomes a very attractive option when there is no need to compare the fare prices and routes of the available operators. If most operators in the region are taking part in a multi-operator capping scheme, riders can simply board a bus and enjoy the best fare available without having to stop and plan the journey – which is exactly what Transport for Wales has achieved with this initiative.”

Paul Griffin, Global Head of Commercial at Littlepay

Multi-operator capping is gaining momentum in the UK after cities such as Leicester, Bournemouth and Cornwall have tried and tested the approach. Regional operators are now seeing the benefits of collaborating to build a better rider experience.