Swift smartcards are simply the latest version of multi-journey ticketing made available in the West Midlands for 47 years
London may have got to cashless buses first, but the West Midlands has a long record of fares innovation that continues to this day.
The PTE introduced the Travelcard in October 1972, offering unlimited travel for a fixed period. Inflation has taken its toll on the initial price of £4 for four weeks (it is around £60 these days, depending on the method of purchase), although there was a 15p registration charge then for the accompanying photocard.
Contactless riders tap in and receive no ticket
The Travelcard brand passed to West Midlands Travel at deregulation, with the PTE continuing to offer a range of multioperator and multi-modal alternatives. These have changed names over time, much as the PTE’s own identity has altered, and today are marketed as nBus, nTrain and nNetwork.
These now represent a smaller proportion of sales, with both National Express West Midlands and Diamond offering their own ranges, which meet the needs of many customers. Nevertheless, the high level of off-bus sales is partly driven by avoiding the exact fare system that National Express and its predecessors…
