Accessing discounts for young people made easy with in-app verifications at TrawsCymru

TrawsCymru, the interurban bus network managed by Transport for Wales, is now using Passenger’s in-app verifications to offer discounted travel to young people without the driver needing to check ID.

With TrawsCymru’s My Travel Pass scheme, young people aged 16-21 save around a third on travel compared with standard adult prices. By getting verified in the app, young people don’t need to remember ID to prove their age, and drivers don’t need to worry about checking it when they board. Not only does that enhance the customer experience, it makes the driver’s job easier and keeps buses moving more quickly by reducing dwell times at stops. With journey times being among the most significant factors in customer satisfaction, this benefit is especially important.

“The My Travel Pass scheme is funded by the Welsh Government and entitles eligible 16–21-year-olds a third off bus fares,” explains Mark Jacobs, Contracts & Performance Manager at TrawsCymru. “We see enormous value in the verification system as it enables those that are eligible to receive the discount and encourages increased take up of the scheme, whilst preventing any misuse at the same time.”

In-app verifications have proven effective for Brighton & Hove Buses already this year. The south coast operator boosted their yield by 13% after adopting Passenger’s system, which requires students to prove their eligibility before buying and using discounted mobile tickets. Similarly, Thames Valley Buses blazed a trail earlier this year, using verifications to prevent fraud and protect revenue with young persons’ tickets; the successful pilot at Thames Valley soon led to a network-wide rollout across Reading Buses and Newbury & District.

To get verified, users are asked for just two things: a photo of the ID that proves their eligibility, plus a selfie. Once uploaded to their profile, Passenger processes the application, without the operator having to get involved. It’s quick, convenient and cost-effective. In TrawsCymru’s case, it’s a one-off process which remains linked to the customer’s account until their 22nd birthday. The verification then expires automatically. Customers don’t need to worry, because they can keep using a ticket they’ve already bought and activated until it runs out.

TrawsCymru is no stranger to technological innovation. It operates the UK’s longest electric bus route, the T1, between Carmarthen, which claims to be the oldest town in Wales, and Aberystwyth, a seaside university town. With in-app verifiations, students and other youngsters aged 16-21 can enjoy unlimited, discounted access to the T1 and the rest of TrawsCymru’s national network.

If you’d like to find out more about using in-app verifications to increase yield, then get in touch today for an informal chat.