Tap-on, tap-off systems on public transport truly are the pinnacle of convenience. There’s no fussing about with your wallet, no risk of your paper ticket getting jammed in the machine – a simple tilt of your phone, wave of a card or flick of the smartwatch on your wrist and you’re through.
Nicknamed ToTo, the contactless system has become a familiar method of payment in cities all over the UK. Now, it’s set to be introduced across Edinburgh’s entire public transport network (which Time Out readers voted one of the best in the world). Contactless payments are already in action on the city’s buses but soon it’ll apply to all of its trams, too.
Travellers in the Scottish capital will be able to mix and match their journeys, with daily fares capped at £5 or £24.50 a week. The machines will calculate the cheapest fare based on the number of journeys made by the passenger and then will charge the card in the early hours of the following morning.
The only thing to remember is that, unlike on the buses, tram passengers will need to ‘tap off’ at machines on the platform when they alight. If you forget, you’ll be charged the max single fare of £7.90.
Lea Harrison, the managing director of Edinburgh Trams, said: ‘Following the successful launch of services to Newhaven in 2023 we’re continuing to invest in technology to make trams an even more attractive proposition for both residents and visitors.
‘This has included the replacement of ten-year-old tram stop validators to enable contactless cards to be securely accepted, and new handheld devices for our staff to check that customers have “tapped on” before boarding.’
Harrison added: ‘The cutting-edge technology requires extensive testing before it becomes fully operational but we are now just weeks away from it being rolled out across the network. When the system goes live it will mark another milestone for Edinburgh Trams, the city and its world-class public transport network.’
It’s hoped that the convenient new tech will encourage drivers to leave their cars at home. An official launch date is expected to be announced within the next few weeks.
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