Bedford Borough, UK will launch a smart card-based ticketing scheme to improve bus services for local residents, after receiving more than £200,000 in government funding.

The Bedford Borough Council has been awarded £218,170 to introduce smart ticketing, install real time information displays, as well as to provide subsidized tickets to encourage more people to travel by bus.

The transit card technology will function similar to the Oyster cards used on the London Underground, which allow local residents to add “fare credit” to their cards and simply scan it when they get on a local bus.

There are also plans to introduce a range of ticketing initiatives to encourage greater bus use, thereby helping to reduce congestion.