The British Government has launched a £20 million campaign that will bring contactless ticketing for public transportation to nine major urban areas, according to the Regen.net.

Inspired by the success of the Oyster card in London, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced today that £20 million in government funding will be divided evenly among England’s nine largest urban areas, including: Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Tyne and Wear, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Nottingham, Leicester and Bristol.

Citizens of those areas should have Oyster-style smart cards in-hand by 2015.

Lord Adonis also stated that by 2020, smart ticketing will be installed in every area of England. The benefits of such a deployment could reach £1 billion a year through increased transportation use and decreased cost of operation, according to Adonis.

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