Bus users in the Bath area are now able to look up the cost of single journeys on First buses before boarding, as the company has recently updated its app for Apple and Android devices.
The App now offers fare information for single journeys alongside timetables, allowing users to plan a journey and know how much it will cost in advance.
The mobile version of the company’s website has also been updated to offer the same details, meaning that those people using Blackberrys and Windows-based Smartphones can also access fare information on the move if they log onto First’s website from their devices.
Customers have long requested more transparency regarding the cost of bus journeys in and around West of England, and while efforts continue to include more details at bus stops in the region, the move to include more fare-related information represents a big step in the right direction.
Since its official launch in 2013 the App has been incredibly popular. To date more than 325,000 people have downloaded it, while on average it gets 45,000 visitors every day.
Talking about the latest development for the West of England, Paul Matthews, Managing Director for First West of England said: “The App has been incredibly popular since we released it last year.
“The new version, updated about a month ago, offers fare information alongside other enhancements for users in the West of England. This element of the App is being trialled here. If it’s popular with customers First will seek to extend this enhancement to its operations in other parts of the country.
“We want our fares to be as transparent as possible and we’ve done a great deal to improve things in this area on that front. Specifically we simplified the whole customer ticketing and fares offer in Bristol last November and we’re currently consulting on changes to fare structures in the wider West of England region too.
“The newly updated App is especially significant though as it gives people a way of checking the cost of a journey that they may wish to make before they travel and means they can take steps to prepare for it, gathering any change they may need in advance.
“It allows people to make active purchasing decisions – they can work out the cost of a single journey and then look to see, if they wish to, whether a day, week or monthly ticket would offer them better value.
“Of course, there are associated benefits for all customers too, because as people are more prepared for their journeys the time taken to board the bus can be reduced as well.”
The First bus App can be downloaded for free. It’s available for Apple and Android phones and can be found in the App stores by searching for First Bus.
