First Bus in York spearheads £20m investment in new ticket machines
- Bus operator and Ticketer renew partnership
- York fleet among first to receive smart ticketing technology
First Bus in York is spearheading a £20m national investment in new ticket machines to benefit customers and drivers.
Its fleet of 86 electric buses are among the first in the country to be fitted with technology from Ticketer, the UK bus and coach industry’s leading provider of real-time information, fleet management and smart ticketing solutions.
This multi-year contract renewal marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the two businesses that spans more than a decade and plays a key role in the operations of First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators.
An upfront investment of £10m has meant the new system rollout is underway, with the first two depots in York and Worcester 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
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 1.5 million passengers a day. Our local bus services serve more than 25% of the population of Great Britain and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
We are a leading operator in the majority of our local areas, including major urban centres such as Glasgow, Bristol and Leeds.
We have proudly launched our First Bus London operation and now operate 83 routes in west and central London from 10 garages serving 180 million passengers annually.
The combined operation now manages a fleet of over 5,750 buses across the UK.
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.
First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We will have over 1000 zero-emission buses in operation across our UK fleet by the end of 2025.
We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
We also operate, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company, Lakeside, Ensignbus, Anderson Travel - and the Aircoach network and Matthews in Ireland.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information 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.