PASSENGERS WILL SOON be able to use a smart card to pay for rides on the Barbados Transport Board’s buses.
And public service vehicles (PSVs) will also get some encouragement to use swipe cards, thereby reducing the need for operators and passengers to carry money.
The Transport Board will be formally adding the plastic to its travel options in February, after some tests starting next week.
Equipment already in the buses for dispensing tickets will accommodate the cards.
The board’s marketing and corporate communications manager Lynda Holder made the announcements yesterday during a Press conference the Transport Authority held at its Roebuck Street, St Michael office.
She told reporters the cards, which could be debited and/or “topped up” on the buses, would make the travel environment safer and more efficient.
Commuters choosing this option can purchase up to $15 in travel credits from the buses “for multiple rides” but there is no limit to “topping up” in the bus terminals, she pointed out.
They should also qualify for some free rides, based on how many they purchased, Holder noted.
President of the Association of Private Transport Operators (APTO), Morris Lee, said the smart card was an initiative he was hoping to convince operators of PSVs to use.
“They need to think in terms of operating in a cashless environment,” he told the WEEKEND NATION.
“This smart card is a step in the right direction. It will improve safety and reduce the possibility of crime.”
Holder told reporters that the Transport Board was also looking to get motorists to park their vehicles and ride a bus to and from work.
Details of this project, called Dump The Pump, are still being worked out, but it will involve a major public education programme, according to Holder.
The board is also considering the establishment of “transfer hubs” so commuters can travel easily to their destinations without having to go to Bridgetown for a connecting bus.
