After been in London for the weekend I used the bus as well as the DLR and Underground frequently I was amazed how quick people boarded and alighted buses.

Do you think it will eventually take off up here? We have the technology in place now!

(07 Jan 2015, 10:20 am)idiot wrote After been in London for the weekend I used the bus as well as the DLR and Underground frequently I was amazed how quick people boarded and alighted buses.

Do you think it will eventually take off up here? We have the technology in place now!

Think I have said it elsewhere, but to make it work, the costs need to be attractive.
The process of topping up, needs to be easy too.

As a regular user, in all different directions across the region - the best bet for me, is to pay for individual journeys or buy a day ticket (usually a Day Rover or Explorer) or drive.
I am instantly put at a disadvantage due to not having an IOS or Android phone too.
There isn't usually a longer term ticket which meets my needs. Guessing I won't be the only member on here in that boat.

In London, you will have seen how cheap the fares were whilst using Oyster or contactless payment. Would love fares to be as cheap and attractive up here.
It may encourage growth too.

I'd be in favour of cashless or exact fare buses, but only once stable infrastructure was in place to support it.

I'd expect a smartcard, which I can top up with credit, is cross operator, I can use to buy absolutely any ticket from any operator, has the facility for automatic topup, and is robust enough to be resistant to general wear and tear. In addition, I'd expect operators to fully publish single/return fares, so I'm not making blind payment.

I'd also expect contactless credit and debit cards to he accepted for all tickets.

I'd prefer to use my debit/credit card in a contactless way as opposed to having a smart card

(07 Jan 2015, 8:11 pm)gtom wrote I'd prefer to use my debit/credit card in a contactless way as opposed to having a smart card

I think both serve a purpose to different audiences. Debit/credit card in a contactless way is obviously a massive benefit to those who don't live in the North East. 

If cashless buses were introduced in the North East, do you think reliability would improve?

(08 Jan 2015, 8:13 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If cashless buses were introduced in the North East, do you think reliability would improve?

Not massively. Our road infrastructure is extremely poor.

(08 Jan 2015, 8:16 pm)aureolin wrote Not massively. Our road infrastructure is extremely poor.

Not many Red Routes in the North East thats for sure.....