Somerset’s bus ticketing system could see a major overhaul within the next year thanks to the upcoming national roll-out of ‘Project Coral’. This government-funded program is designed to simplify bus travel by enabling passengers to purchase one ticket valid across different bus operators, eliminating the need for multiple separate tickets.
Transport for the West Midlands is leading the project, currently engaging with key stakeholders including government ministers and the UK’s five largest bus operators: Arriva, First Group, Go-Ahead, National Express, and Stagecoach. These discussions aim to establish the necessary backend arrangements to ensure smooth coordination among operators.
Somerset Council has indicated that if the pilot phase proves successful, the multi-operator ticketing system will extend to the South West within the next 12 months. At a recent bus advisory board meeting, Natasha Bates, the council’s service manager for transport planning, shared insights into the project’s progress.
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“The goal of Project Coral is to develop a unified back office system that supports multi-operator ticket sales and fairly distributes revenue,” Bates explained. She emphasized that the Department for Transport (DfT) mandates a single, centralized system, discouraging local authorities from creating their own solutions. The DfT strongly encourages all local authorities to adopt this approach to support seamless travel.
A key feature of Project Coral will be the introduction of a contactless, tap-on/tap-off payment system across all participating bus services. The tender process for selecting the system supplier is complete, with a contract signing expected soon. Following that, local transport authorities will be contacted to confirm participation and collaborate on the system roll-out. While the exact costs and implementation details are not yet known, Somerset is proactively preparing through partnership with Peninsula Transport and neighboring authorities.
Peninsula Transport—a collective representing Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay—works to advocate for enhanced regional transport services across county lines. As part of its preparations, Peninsula Transport is conducting initial audits with local bus operators to assess readiness for Project Coral.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset’s portfolio holder for transport and waste services, expressed strong support for the project. “We will work collaboratively across borders with operators, which is the whole point of this scheme,” he said. “The government’s approach is correct, but I hope they will expedite the process quickly.”
Further updates on Project Coral’s progress are expected at the upcoming bus advisory board meeting on June 23.