Passengers travelling on the Edinburgh Trams network using various smartcards can now benefit from newly upgraded on-platform validators which were officially switched on for the first time from Thursday 28th April.
The validators have been under test for a few weeks but after the completion of this they are now live. Ridacards, concession passes and other smartcards can be touched-in on the validators for travel on the tram network. At this stage contactless payments are not possible using this system with tickets still needing to be purchased from ticket machines.
Lea Harrison, Edinburgh Trams Managing Director, said: “After a thorough testing programme over the past few weeks, we are delighted that the new validators are now operational. They will make travelling by tram even easier by offering a quicker and more convenient way to validate smartcards for travel. Their ‘switch on’ also marks another significant step forward for the tramway as we look forward to the launch of new services next year following the completion of the Trams to Newhaven project.”
The validators can be found at the end of each platform and all that passengers need to do is to tap them with their card/pass and wait for the green tick to appear. If a red cross appears it denotes that the card has not been accepted for travel and an alternative ticket should be purchased before boarding the tram.