Contactless payment is now available on First buses across Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport and Havant, in the latest stage of Hampshire County Council’s £1.6million initiative to make bus travel easier and quicker. Contactless payment is now available on 300 extra buses, in addition to the 574 already equipped in Winchester over the summer. Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, Councillor Rob Humby said: “Travelling by bus should be as quick and convenient as possible, and installing contactless payment places Hampshire at the forefront of this customer-friendly technology which increases passenger choice, makes travel simpler and improves congestion and air quality, by reducing delays while passengers look for change. “This latest move puts Hampshire as the only shire county in the UK to offer this modern payment method, which is in addition to cash, mobile tickets and Smartcards, and aims to encourage even more people to get out of their cars on to a more sustainable mode of public transport.” The initiative is a joint partnership between the County Council and local bus operators First, Go South Coast and Stagecoach*. The first buses ready for contactless took to the road at the beginning of June, and already more than a quarter of a million passenger journeys in Hampshire have been made using contactless - accounting for up to 20% of journeys, with take up growing week-on-week. Contactless payment includes payment with a contactless credit and debit card, Apple Pay and Android pay. *Go South Coast buses operate locally as Bluestar, More, Unilink and Salisbury Reds. First include Eclipse and Star services, and Stagecoach include the Gold and Kings City services.