First Bus and Ticketer renew partnership following £20m investment
- New ticket machines (ETMs) to be rolled out across the entire First Bus fleet, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to best-in-class service for customers
First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators, today announces a £20m investment and renewed multi-year partnership with Ticketer, reaffirming both companies’ commitment to delivering more seamless and efficient bus travel across the country.
Ticketer, the UK bus and coach industry’s leading provider of real-time information, fleet management and smart ticketing solutions, provides technology that plays a key role in First Bus’ operations. This multi-year contract renewal marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the two businesses that spans more than a decade.
First Bus is relentless in its drive for operational efficiency, digital transformation and delivering a more connected, seamless travel experience for passengers. The rollout of the new ETMs will bring an improved driver experience when on the road, which in turn brings a better experience for customers.
An upfront investment of £10m has meant the new system rollout is now well underway, with the first two depots in York and Worcester contributing to over 850 buses already being fitted.
Ticketer is providing its TK300 driver console, Voice Messaging, Enhanced Predictions and Mobile Device Management, amongst a suite of enhanced future capabilities designed to elevate the passenger experience, support operational excellence, and empower drivers with smarter, real-time tools.
These innovations - part of a broader wave of upcoming advancements – will harness data-driven insights, seamless integration, and user-centric design to deliver the next generation of connected transport services.
Simon Mathieson, Director of Operational Excellence for First Bus, said: “We’re pleased to be extending our partnership with Ticketer for a further five years and continuing to give our people and passengers the best travel experience when using the bus. We’ve listened to our drivers’ needs and worked tirelessly to provide them with the best option to make this element of their job as efficient as possible.
“This renewal is testament to our strong working relationship with Ticketer, and our shared commitment to delivering innovative solutions as part of our commitment to improving services for our drivers and customers time and time again.”
Adam Toone, Chief Commercial and Operations Officer, Ticketer, added: "Our partnership with First Bus has always been rooted in innovation, mutual trust and a shared mission to make public transport better for everyone. We’re thrilled to continue working closely with First Bus to push the boundaries of what’s possible in bus travel and are excited to see where our partnership will take them next."
ENDS
Notes to editors
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About First Bus
At First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus.
We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, transporting more than a million customers a day. We serve over 20% of the population of Great Britain with our local bus services, and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
Transforming our business for the better, we’re putting our people and customers at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we’re the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, cementing our position as an employer of choice in the sector.
We’re all about making journeys easier for our customers, which is why we were the first national bus operator to roll out Tap On, Tap Off payment technology across our entire fleet of around 4,500 buses. Our First Bus app has also been voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators.
First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We already operate over 600 zero-emission buses.
We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their own decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company and Ensignbus. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information on our website here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/
About Ticketer
Ticketer is the UK’s leading provider of real-time information, fleet management and smart ticketing solutions for the bus and coach industry. Whether you're an operator or an authority, managing a fleet of five or five thousand, Ticketer’s cloud-based solutions and on-bus technology help deliver services that are efficient, accessible, and attractive to all.