Switching on
Pub chain to offer free Wi-Fi P
unch Taverns, the UK’S largest pub and bar operator, is installing free Wi-Fi into its
tenanted and leased pubs. A signifi cant number of Punch pubs across the UK already have T e Cloud’s Wi-Fi installed or have installation dates confi rmed and the aim is to complete the programme by the end of March 2013. Licensees are already seeing the benefi ts of the
free Wi-Fi, with statistics showing high usage levels during the daytime, traditionally a quieter period for pubs. Punch is providing free Wi-Fi for two years, with free installation including a support pack from T e Cloud to promote the new service. Julie Clamp, machine development manager
at Punch, said: “T is free initiative puts our pubs on a level with managed houses, national coff ee and restaurant chains. We have already seen pubs making the most of the opportunity
Wi-Fi off ers, through introducing meeting space for business users, adding or upgrading a coff ee off er to increase dwell time or adding social media followers through use of Wi-Fi. We will be working with our licensees and T e Cloud to make the most of the benefi ts that Wi-Fi off ers and to encourage our pubs to capitalise on this industry-leading opportunity.” Susan King, who has been running the Der-
went Arms in Osbaldwick, York for seven years, added: “I’ve had free Wi-Fi in the pub for just over two months and since it has been installed I’ve defi nitely seen the benefi ts. T e pub is situ- ated in a small village and the Wi-Fi has been a real help as everyone seems to be connected with the Internet nowadays. I see a lot of young people especially, coming in with smartphones and laptops and they tend to stay longer because they can use the Internet for free.”
Licensees are already seeing the benefi ts of the free Wi-Fi, with statistics showing high usage levels during the daytime, which is traditionally a quieter period for pubs
Contactless payment option introduced on London buses B
us passengers in London can now use their contactless
debit, credit or charge card to touch in and pay on any of London’s 8,500 buses. This development will mean that instead of fumbling for change or fi nding their Oyster card has run out of credit, Londoners and visitors will be able to use an American Express, MasterCard or Visa Europe contactless payment card to directly pay for their bus journey, and get the cheaper Oyster fare, making it easier and more convenient to travel around the capital.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Lots of us have had the frustrating experience of dashing to board a bus only to discover that our Oyster card has run out of credit. So the arrival of this latest technology is welcome news, meaning that with a simple touch of a contactless payment card, people can avoid having to scrabble for change and also still benefi t from the Oyster fare discount.
LAND mobile January 2013
“This is the latest in a range of ways we are working to make passenger journeys even easier and more convenient.” Over 85,000 bus fares each
day are still paid for using cash, which is currently £2.30 and higher than the £1.35 Oyster fare. At least 500 people per day try to pay their fare with a high denomination note for which the bus driver does not have change. By the end of 2013, customers will be able to use a contactless payment card to also pay for travel on London Underground, DLR, London Overground and trams and daily and weekly price capping will be included at this stage.
Discussions are also underway with the train operating companies that serve London about accepting contactless payment cards on National Rail services where Oyster is currently accepted. Transport for london (TfL) will become one of the world’s largest single merchants accepting contactless payment
Construction fi rm invests in fl eet tracking
cards when the scheme is fully rolled out. Shashi Verma, from TfL, said: “Bus passengers will realise signifi cant savings by swapping from cash to contactless payment card and getting the cheaper single Oyster fare and we look forward to seeing the number of people using this payment option increase over the next year as the banking industry issues more contactless cards to their customers.” TfL has worked closely with the banking and payments industry, including American Express, MasterCard, Visa Europe and card issuers, to bring contactless payment to London’s transport network. The Oyster readers on all of London’s buses have been upgraded to accept the payments alongside Oyster transactions and the software has been approved by all the major payments schemes and confi rmed as meeting the security requirements of the global fi nancial services industry.
Plant manager Ian Balmer (right) handing over the Masternaut keys to one of Graham Construction’s drivers
G
raham Construction, one of Ireland’s largest
privately-held building and civil engineering companies, has installed a driver performance solution from Masternaut into its fl eet of vehicles. Karl Teggarty, business
manager at Graham Construction, said: “Working with Masternaut will give us much more detailed reporting, fully automated and confi gured to our needs. This will allow us to see where the fuel bill is going – by that I mean which vehicles are using the most fuel, and how driving styles contribute to higher fuel consumption.”
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