Contactless card payments coming for Amesbury HOPPA Bus
The service say they were just starting to see passenger numbers rising too.
Last updated 9th Nov 2020
The Amesbury HOPPA, run by Community Transport South Wiltshire (CTSW), takes passengers around the town to do their shopping, and visit local businesses.
After suspending the service for the first lockdown, it had got back up and running over the summer, taking a maximum of 6 passengers at a time due to social distancing.
During September, the Amesbury HOPPA carried a total of 1,607 people on its services.
The charity's described that number of 'remarkable', considering their pre-Covid capacity was 2,900 passengers a month.
CONTACTLESS ON ITS WAY
CTSW had had support from the Wiltshire Community Foundation to fund a new electronic ticket machine on the HOPPA, allowing them to take contactless payments.
The charity got £3,417 of support towards the ongoing running costs of the service, including the new equipment.
The Amesbury HOPPA will still take cash payments, but recognises that more of us are choosing not to carry cash as a result of the pandemic.
CTSW tell us they will be keeping the service running during this lockdown, thanks to volunteers willing to carry on driving.
You can find out more about Community Transport South Wiltshire via their Facebook page, or by calling 01722 414566.