National Express West Midands Swiftcard

[mattdickinson]

National Express West Midlands have finally launched their version of the Centro Swiftcard.

At the moment it's only available as a seperate card to the existing Swiftcard, holding 5, 10 or 15 Daysavers, covering either Coventry or the whole of the operating area.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new e-Daysaver smartcard.
the new way to buy 5, 10 or 15 daysavers on a smartcard

No more fumbling for change everyday, you can now buy multiple daysavers before you travel and load them onto a special version of the Swift smartcard.

You can get your first e-Daysaver card in any of our travelshops across the region.

When you want to top up the e-Daysaver smartcard pop into any of our travelshops. Top ups will be available online soon.

Over the next few months we will also be introducing ‘smart’ versions of our popular 1 week and 4 week travelcards

 

[dvboy]

National Express West Midlands have launched a pre-paid "e-Daysaver" card.

http://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/smartcard/introducing-edaysavers

Introducing e-Daysavers

e-DWe are pleased to announce the launch of our new e-Daysaver smartcard.

the new way to buy 5, 10 or 15 daysavers on a smartcard

No more fumbling for change everyday, you can now buy multiple daysavers before you travel and load them onto a special version of the Swift smartcard.

You can get your first e-Daysaver card in any of our travelshops across the region.

When you want to top up the e-Daysaver smartcard pop into any of our travelshops. Top ups will be available online soon.

Over the next few months we will also be introducing ‘smart’ versions of our popular 1 week and 4 week travelcards.

Essentially these are replacing scratch-off date cards that were sold in books of 5 previously.

NX are yet to introduce smartcard pay-as-you-go single fares.

 

[radamfi]

NX are yet to introduce smartcard pay-as-you-go single fares.

How would they implement that, given they have more than one cash fare?

 

[sonic2009]

I hold a Swift Coventry N-Bus, I think there are some issues that need sorting. In the last week I've had 5 times where my pass couldn't be recognised.

 

[SS4]

I shall have to get one of these next time I'm up town although I am concerned about what to do if they were to fail

 

[Mojo]

How would they implement that, given they have more than one cash fare?

There's the Trentbarton 'touch in / touch out' model, as well as the option to state the ticket you require to the driver and have the machine deduct the right balance from the card, or alternatively to charge a flat fare on the card and anyone doing a short trip pays cash.

TBH I'm surprised West Midlands has kept the 2 fare stage short hop. When I first moved to Birmingham it was 80p and the WM MAX was £1.20, so it was worth it. Now the proportional difference isn't as much, plus it's so expensive you might as well walk; especially given how small fare stages are in Birmingham compared to other places I've travelled.

 

[radamfi]

In Birmingham and the Black Country, the two main fares are £1.80 and £2.10, so you would have thought they might as well have change that to a £2 flat fare. In Coventry the main fare is £1.90. However they now also offer a £1 fare in Birmingham and Coventry city centres.

 

[SS4]

I wonder how this will work for the (admittedly few) services running after midnight? I've had email confirmation in the past that the paper Daysaver is valid until the end of service (allowing the 0002 67 for example)

 

[radamfi]

I wonder how this will work for the (admittedly few) services running after midnight? I've had email confirmation in the past that the paper Daysaver is valid until the end of service (allowing the 0002 67 for example)

http://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/tickets-prices/day-tickets/daysavers-2010-12-09

says that they are valid until 0159 on the following day.