John Dodd welcomes new Merseytravel smartcard

Cllr John Dodd welcomes Merseytravel's smartcard revolution which is starting in the autumn. The new smartcards are similar to London's Oyster cards and are due to be introduced in October.

Cllr Dodd, who is a Liberal Democrat representative on Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority (Merseytravel) said "The new smartcards will eliminate the frustration of queuing for tickets. They will make it easier for people to use the public transport system, whether train, bus or ferry."

Once fully implemented,  it will be the biggest smartcard network outside London. Merseytravel will be investing a substantial amount of money in the technology after receiving a £2.2m grant from the coalition Government. 

Cllr Dodd added that cardholders can arrange to receive e-mails warning of any delays on their journey if they provide Merseytravel with details of the route to be taken.

Merseyrail's eight busiest stations already operate barriers which are smartcard friendly. The smartcard scheme will encourage more people to use public transport.