00:00Could the future of Metrobus ticket machines be coming to an end?
00:05Nineteen large digital screens known as iPoints could soon be removed from bus stops across Bristol and South Gloucestershire
00:13as only a small number of people are still using them to buy tickets.
00:19When Metrobus services first launched a decade ago, iPoints were a key feature.
00:25They were designed to speed up boarding by letting passengers buy tickets before getting on and without using cash.
00:34But today, things have changed.
00:37A recent report reveals that just 4% of Metrobus tickets are bought using an iPoint.
00:43Most passengers now tap on with a card or use the FirstBus app.
00:48Each year, councils spend around £331,000 just to maintain the iPoints now,
00:57with the current contract due to expire in October next year.
01:01A report to councillors on the Transport Policy Committee on Thursday 15 May said that since the inception of the Metrobus network and the iPoints,
01:13the way in which passengers access information and purchase tickets has significantly changed.
01:19While iPoints also offer journey planning and reveal bus times, most passengers now get that information from their phones,
01:29and many stops already have separate digital screens showing live arrivals.
01:35The report adds that there are clear advantages to keeping the iPoints, particularly as they are an iconic presence on the network.
01:44The report adds that there are clear advantages to keeping the iPoints and the iPoints and the iPoints and the iPoints and the iPoints and the iPoints and the iPoints.
