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.
