BUS passengers can now use a new smartcard for pay as you go journeys around West Yorkshire.

Following a successful trial in Keighley, the new MCard, run by the county’s three major bus operators and 12 smaller firms, will be available to bus users.

They can be loaded up from a minimum of £5 to be used to by single, return, or day rider tickets on 90 per cent of bus services.

Alex Hornby, chief executive of Transdev, said: “The MCard is helping to make bus travel in the county as convenient as possible, plus it has the added advantage of speeding up boarding, which improves journey times.”

Councillor Eric Firth, West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s transport committee deputy chairman, said: “Gone are the days of worrying about having change for their bus fare.”

“Companies whose employees sometimes have to use buses will no doubt find it useful to have one or two pre-loaded cards in the drawer for anyone to use.”