BUS travellers in Worcester will be able to use their mobile phone as a bus ticket.

The innovative invention has been launched by First Worcester and means customers can buy tickets online before showing the driver the ticket on their mobile screen.

First says tickets can be bought via its new app ‘First Bus Mobile Tickets', adding the scheme is aimed at making it easier to pay for bus travel.

It will also avoid having to search for change to board buses, the group said, and cut queues.

“This is good news for customers," said Nigel Eggleton, First Midlands' managing director.

"I’m proud that First Worcester will be one of the first bus operators in the area to give customers the opportunity of using their mobile phones as bus tickets.

"It’s an innovative scheme that I’m confident will be welcomed by our customers, but I hope too it will encourage new people to use our services and infrequent customers to get on board more often.”

First Worcester is holding a launch event tomorrow (Thursday 13 March) from 10am - 2pm in the city centre.

FirstGroup will roll out mobile ticketing across all its UK bus companies later this year.

Customers can buy FirstDay, FirstWeek and FirstMonth tickets using the ‘First Bus Mobile Tickets app’, which is available for free on App Store and Google Play.

Customers download the app, register, select the ticket they want and pay.

Once payment is complete, bus tickets live in a virtual wallet ready for the customer to show the driver.