Rotala introduces Contactless Payment Technology

RNS Number : 3782C

Rotala PLC

13 April 2017

 

13 April 2017

Rotala plc

("Rotala" or "the Company" or "the Group")

                                          Rotala introduces Contactless Payment Technology

Rotala is pleased to announce that, through its subsidiary operating in the West Midlands, Diamond Bus Limited ("Diamond"), it has invested £600,000 in a new ticketing system across its whole West Midlands and Worcestershire network. The deal with UK-based company Ticketer will see new ticket machines equipped with the latest technology go live on vehicles from 23rd April 2017.

The investment means that Diamond can now offer passengers a range of new features. From a passenger's perspective the principal initial advantage will be Contactless Payment, offering the customer a more convenient way to pay, less time purchasing a ticket, and so enabling better bus time keeping. It is believed that Rotala is the first operator in the West Midlands area to be able to offer contactless payment on a network-wide basis.  

In due course, in coordination with Transport for the West Midlands ("TfWM"), Real Time Information ("RTI") will be passed from the new ticket machines to TfWM's RTI road infrastructure. In the near future the same RTI will be available to passengers through Rotala's own mobile app and website.

From the business perspective the new ticket machines are equipped with the latest in tracking and communications technology; live location and status feeds for each vehicle will be reported back to depot traffic offices. This feature will enable the company to report delays much more accurately to customers and liaise more easily with drivers to identify and rectify problems. Tickets will also be printed with individual QR codes. The QR codes will be scanned when boarding a bus and are unique to each ticket. This will significantly reduce the risk of fraudulent ticket abuse, a perennial management problem for any bus operator.

Simon Dunn, Chief Executive of Diamond Bus parent company Rotala Plc, said "I am really pleased with the progress we are making in Diamond Bus. This investment of £600,000 in new ticket machines, with all the benefits that brings to both customers and the business, is a clear demonstration of our determination to further improve the service we deliver to our passengers."

For further information please contact:

Rotala Plc	0121 322 2222
John Gunn, Chairman
Simon Dunn, Chief Executive Officer
Kim Taylor, Group Finance Director
Nominated Adviser & Broker: Cenkos Securities plc	020 7397 8900
Stephen Keys/Callum Davidson (Corporate Finance) Michael Johnson/Julian Morse (Corporate Broking)

 

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