Mobile Bus Tickets and Timetables – Apps for your smart phone - 23/10/2014

Did you know that you can buy bus tickets before you travel, any day, at any time, when you're at home, in the office or out and about, using your mobile phone so you have them ready for when you want to get on the bus?

Earlier this year FirstGroup launched an App for smart phones which allows you to use your mobile phone as a bus ticket. The App, ‘First Bus m-Tickets’, allows you to buy a range of tickets and, once purchased, you simply show the driver the ticket on your mobile phone screen and you don’t need to purchase a ticket from the driver.

This App is free and has been introduced to make it easier for people to buy tickets and to avoid the problem of not having the correct change, as well as speeding up boarding times. FirstGroup also hopes that this will encourage more people to travel by bus.

You can buy a range of tickets including FirstDay, FirstWeek and FirstMonth. You simply download the App, register, select the ticket you want and navigate the secure payment system. Once the payment section is complete, bus tickets live in a virtual wallet on your phone ready for you to show the driver. For repeated use you only need to select the required tickets and confirm your debit/credit card security code. The App will also alert you when new ticket options become available.

This App is very easy to use: choose the area where you are travelling, choose the m-Ticket that suits you, set up an account and pay by credit or debit card, activate your ticket before you get on the bus and then show the driver the ticket on your phone.

If you combine First Bus m-Tickets with the First Bus Journey Planning App, which gives you up-to-date service information, you’ll also know when your next bus will be setting off. A great combination for when you're on the move!

The First Bus Journey Planning App helps you plan journeys, providing next bus times for all bus services throughout Great Britain, including real time information. Features include route maps showing the location of bus stops, timetables, details of tickets and fares, and service updates. You can also save stops so you can check anticipated departure times.

Part of the No.70 route showing bus stops. Selecting the flags brings up the name of the stop.

Here is part of the timetable showing times for the No.70 to take me to the hospital.

And here is the live information showing me the final destination of the bus and when it will depart from Devonshire Terrace Road.

Using this App you can:

Search by bus number or destination and find live or scheduled bus times for over 300,000 bus stops across Great Britain
Set 'Stop Alerts' so you know when you are approaching your stop
Look up route maps for all bus services in Great Britain
Save your favourite bus stop so you can quickly check the time of your next bus
Create a personal timetable to suit your journey by departure and arrival times, route, direction of travel, day of the week and even the time of day between two locations on any First Bus route.
Get up-to-date news and information about First Bus services
Find details of ticket types and fares available on First Bus networks

To get these Apps go to your phone provider’s App store and search for First Bus then follow the normal download procedure.

For more information go to http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/mtickets/ and http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/south_yorkshire/journey_planning/app/

Keith Shaw - keith.shaw@dorevillage.co.uk