Lothian Buses will begin accepting contactless payments on services across the Edinburgh and Lothians region, marking a ‘first for Scotland’.

The new contactless payment scheme will include daily capping, which is similar to the London system. This will provide a “fast and convenient way” to pay for bus fares, the operator said in a statement yesterday (23rd July).

Upon boarding, commuters can just tap their bank card on the reader and will be automatically charged for an adult single fare. After three or more taps, however, the fare will be capped at the price of an adult day ticket.

Apple Pay and Google pay will also be accepted by the new payment system, so commuters can use their mobile devices instead.

Commenting on the announcement, Lothian commercial director Nigel Serafini said: “We are delighted to be launching city-wide contactless payments for our customers. With more and more of our transactions becoming ‘cashless’, it was important to recognise the demand for this capability across our fleet.

“This has been at the top of customers’ wish lists for some time and we are pleased to be able to deliver an easy and convenient method of payment, which removes the need to carry cash, or know at the start of the day how many journeys you plan to make.”

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Serafini added: “The capping system means that our customers will always get the cheapest daily fare possible, no matter how their travel plans might change throughout the day.”

Currently, commuters across the Lothians can use the operator’s ‘m-tickets’ app, which allows people to buy tickets in bulk – with a minimum payment of £4 required. This minimum pricing cap previously stood at £10, an issue that raised criticism among locals for its lack of flexibility.

The new contactless payment system has been developed by Lothian’s long-term ticketing and fare collection technology partner, Flowbird Transport Intelligence. Lothian Buses has also worked closely with Visa as part of the project.

The company, which specialises in smart city transportation solutions, provides ticketing technology in a number of cities worldwide, including the Sydney Metro and the Wightlink ferry service to the Isle of Wight.

Owen Griffith, managing director at Flowbird, said: “This new contactless and fare capped system will make bus travel in the city easier than ever before, while simultaneously applying maximum daily fares rules for multiple journeys.

“We have delivered this innovation in partnership with Lothian and it marks another successful milestone in our long-standing relationship.”

Steven Orelowitz, head of transit at Visa Europe, added: “The UK continues to lead the way when it comes to contactless payment systems on public transport and we are thrilled to have partnered with Lothian to bring contactless to their buses.”