All right, so I was cruising along the Edinburgh tram route this morning, minding my own business, when BAM! I see these tram staff rocking luminous pink jackets at almost every stop. Apparently, it was the biggest day since they opened the Newhaven route. Why, you ask? Well, they were kicking off this new system called “tap on, tap off” — where passengers can just tap a card and ditch those old tickets and apps if they feel like it.
So, Edinburgh Trams decided to make things cute and call this process “ToTo”. They even have a little black Scottish Terrier as their marketing icon, plastered all over the city with the slogan, “ToTo says, ‘Don’t forget to tap on and tap off’. It’s ToTolly easy!” I mean, who doesn’t love a cute dog promoting public transport, right?
Now, the launch of this system had not one, not two, but three ToTos making an appearance. I guess they were there to add some cuteness to an otherwise dull electronic process. But hey, at least they’re trying to make things fun for us passengers, right?
Moving on, this whole “tap on, tap off” thing is a big deal for Edinburgh’s public transport because it’s all about bringing buses and trams together. I mean, who would’ve thought that tapping a card could be so revolutionary, right? But hey, it’s all about making our lives easier, I suppose.
I found myself at the Foot of the Walk tram stop, which was pretty quiet for a holiday morning. There were only a handful of passengers and a couple of “trambassadors” there to help people through the tapping process. Sounds like a fun job, doesn’t it? Just standing there, guiding nervous folks through tapping a card.
Now, tapping on was a piece of cake — just press your card or phone against a panel and you’re good to go. But hey, I met this one lady on the tram who said she didn’t trust herself to tap off. I mean, who can blame her? Tapping off sounds like a whole other level of commitment, right?
The fear of not tapping off seems to be the main concern for passengers with this new system. I mean, it’s a bit confusing because buses are just tap on, but trams are tap on and tap off. Leah Harrison, the big boss at Edinburgh Trams, really wants to drill it into our heads: “Please, tap off!” Got it, Leah, loud and clear!
So, here’s how it works: you tap on with your card or device before hopping on the tram, then tap off when you reach your stop. Easy peasy, right? And if you forget to tap off, well, you might end up paying more. So, don’t forget to tap off, folks!
Leah Harrison was all pumped up at the launch, joined by other important folks like David Thompson and Stevie Chambers. They were all about making travel seamless and easy for us. I mean, who doesn’t want that, right?
The best part is that this system is not just about tapping on and off. It’s also about gathering data on where people travel to, which stops they get off at, and all that jazz. So, while we’re busy tapping away, the tram folks are collecting all this cool data. Big Brother is watching, folks!
In the end, this new system is all about making our lives easier and getting more people to use public transport. It’s a win-win, right? So, next time you hop on a tram, don’t forget to tap on and tap off. And hey, if you prefer the old ways, that’s cool too. Just keep doing you, my friend.
