FIFTY bus operators and 50,000 passengers have been using an app and web platform developed in Bournemouth to make travel easier.

Westbourne-based business Passenger launched its myTrip app a year ago to make it easier to buy bus tickets and see where a bus is in real time.

Earlier this year, it added websites for operators, so users could buy tickets on the websites and produce them on their mobiles.

As well as allowing cashless payment, the technology is intended to cut time spend in queues. Users can share live information about how busy a bus is.

Passenger chief executive Tom Quay said: “As myTrip celebrates its one-year anniversary this month, it’s inspiring to see how much of a positive difference the platform has made to operators. We designed the platform with smaller operators’ needs as our priority, helping them modernise their services to appeal to today’s travellers and their shifting needs.”

myTrip has recently been shortlisted in Digital Leaders 100 awards in the Geospatial Innovation of the Year category.

The 50th operator to use the technology, Guidlford-based Safeguard Coaches, signed up earlier this year. The latest to use new websites powered by myTrip are Aylesbury-based operators Redline Buses and Red Rose Travel.

Local operators Morebus and Yellow Buses use Passenger, another app which shares the company’s name and was developed for larger operators.

Mr Quay added: “Not only does myTrip help support small businesses who have served their communities for many years, but it also plays a part in inspiring long-term sustainability improvements which will benefit our future generations.

“We’re looking forward to introducing myTrip to even more communities over the next 12 months, while helping change ingrained public mindsets when it comes to travel choices.”

Roger Birch, general manager for bus company Whippet, said: “We’re delighted to have welcomed more travellers on board thanks to our new digital capabilities. myTrip has helped us connect to more of our community, and it’s important we continue raising awareness of the positive impacts of taking the bus – from both an environmental perspective as our carbon footprint is reduced, and from a convenience perspective as traffic congestion decreases.

“We’ve improved the range of tickets available through the app, including our new five-day tickets for £25 package which can be used across our network over 90 days – ideal when you’re not needing to go to the office every day.”