Plymouth To Launch Compass Travel Card
The launch of the Compass Travel Card is set to make Plymouth a rival of Sydney Harbour in Australia, local ferry and harbour cruise operators are to join up city and sea travel in Plymouth and Cornwall
Set to launch in April 2019, the Compass card will be the first of its kind in Plymouth. The contactless, stored value card will provide customers with a simple, safe and secure way to pay for fares on all Plymouth Boat Trips’ cruises, ferries, and buses, connecting the city of Plymouth and Cornwall.
Much like the Oyster card in London and the Octopus card in Hong Kong, the Plymouth Compass card will hold pay as you go credit, so with just one tap, passengers will be able to board boats and buses, avoiding the hassle of cash, while keeping queues and waiting times down.
Owner of Plymouth Boat Trips, Ben Squire says: ‘We’re very excited to be introducing the Compass card to Plymouth, moving towards a more integrated transport system here in the South West.’
The company is also developing a smartphone app that will provide access to timetables, maps and what’s on information for people travelling in the area.
Ben went on to say: ‘As we look to expand our business to land transport, our vision is to use technology that will provide customers with the tools to be able to quickly and easily hop on and off all our services, creating a more seamless travel experience.’
Plymouth Boot Trips is a family run business, operating cruises, private charters, ferries and fishing trips from Plymouth in Devon. The business was started more than twenty years ago as, Fish ‘N’ Trips, a small fishing trip business founded on a life-long passion for sea fishing by Ben Squire.
While being just 21 years old and with a £1000 loan and a £500 grant from The Princes Trust, Ben purchased a boat and took the first mackerel and offered customers deep-sea fishing trips from Plymouth.
Since then the business has flourished to become Plymouth Boat Trips Ltd.
A family affair, Ben’s brother Dominic Squire joined the company in 2013 and, together, they now own and manage a fleet of eight passenger boats.