Anyone using a Swift Go card on the West Midlands Metro will now be charged the best value fare for any journeys made in a single day in the latest development of the pay as you go smartcard. The new fare-capped payment system is in place now on the Metro with bus services following later this year and local rail services during 2021.
This new service is aimed at occasional travellers and will calculate the best value fare at the end of the day based on any journeys taken so as not to penalise commuters for changing their plans during the course of the day.
Work is also underway of extending this service to three day and seven day periods to benefit those working part-time or those swapping between working from home and in the office. The plan is that at all times the card will charge the amount for the best value fare and not just take the standard fare off each time you travel.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We know that as we emerge from this pandemic that many people’s working and travel patterns will be changing. Many people simply do not know at the start of the day or week how many journeys they need to make and until now they ran the risk of paying for trips they might not need. Swift Go offers great flexibility and will therefore make a perfect option for people as they adapt to new ways of working post-Covid.”
The Swift Go card is available for either Pay as You Go or for Season Tickets.