BUS tickets could soon be replaced – by mobile phones.

Bus company Arriva is today launching its mobile phone ticketing service m-ticket in Yorkshire.

The company, which operates services in Kirklees, has become the first UK bus operator to introduce m-ticketing, which will allow passengers to buy daily, weekly and four-weekly tickets via their mobile phones.

Passengers will then display their phone to the driver when getting on a bus.

Mike Cooper, managing director of Arriva UK Bus, said: “The mobile phone is an essential part of modern life and m-tickets will give additional flexibility and convenience to our customers.

“Customers can buy tickets using their phone at any time from wherever they happen to be. It saves them searching out the cash to buy a ticket and speeds up getting on the bus as they simply show the ticket on the phone display to the driver.”

Users will download the application for free on to their phone.

They can then select which ticket option they want and buy it via a credit card or PayPoint.

They then need to activate the ticket on the day and time of travel, which will then display it on their mobile phone screen to show to the driver. The ticket runs from the date of first use rather than day of purchase.