Customer & Partner Access 
Scotland’s first multimodal, multi-operator account-based ticketing (ABT) system has been unveiled in Edinburgh, offering seamless bus and tram travel across the city for residents and visitors.
A newly launched Edinburgh Trams ‘Tap-On, Tap-Off’ (‘ToTo’) ticketing and payment scheme, developed by transport technology specialists Flowbird, has been integrated with Lothian Buses’ existing TapTapCap system, heralding a new era of transport connectivity.
As a result, fares for single mode journeys or combined bus and tram travel across the city will now benefit from daily and weekly fare capping rules.
The new payment environment enables passengers to switch easily from tram to bus, and
vice-versa, and be sure to receive the best available fare for their entire journey. The only difference in the customer experience is that while Lothian operates a flat fare ‘tap-on’ only system for city services, the zonal fares structure for trams means that users need to tap-on and tap-off.
Lea Harrison, Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams, said: “The launch of ToTo follows months of hard work from colleagues across the business, and would not be possible without significant investment in existing infrastructure. “We believe that ToTo future-proofs the tramway with cutting-edge technology, making it
easier and more efficient than ever to use the tram to glide across the city.”
ToTo leverages the tramway’s investment in contactless payments, 110 platform validators, 60 handheld ticketing devices, and a CloudFare back-office integrated with Lothian Buses –
all supplied and configured by Flowbird. The platform validators are installed on – and draw power from – lighting columns.
Commented David Thompson, General Manager-Transport at Flowbird: “We are delighted
that our long-term partnership with the City of Edinburgh and its principal transport operators is helping create a transport network fit for a great world city.
“Accommodating both tram and bus journeys within a unified ABT scheme – and dealing with differing fares structures – required the development and configuration of complex business rules within Flowbird’s CloudFare Account Based Ticketing back office. Now, though, local people and the millions more who visit Edinburgh every year can enjoy easier access to multimodal travel and a simpler payment system than ever before, helping to make the city more liveable.”
