Earlier this month Reading Buses introduced their new “tap of tap off” system where customers can simply tap on and off services with their cards or smartphones.

The system was introduced to allow a quicker service, but some members of the public have expressed mixed views on whether the new system is a good thing for wait times.

Mr William Luck wrote a post on a Facebook page stating: “Just travelled into and out of Reading by bus and witnessed Reading Buses new “tap on, tap off” system in action.

“Now, not only are the buses delayed while people fiddle with their smartphones to pay getting on the bus, but the buses are also now delayed by people fiddling with their smartphones to get off the bus.

“It may be a system for ensuring passengers get the best fare option automatically, but will Reading Buses adjust their timetables accordingly to allow for the extra delays?”

Many people took to the comment section of the post to discuss the positives and negatives of the new payment system.

One user commented: “I’ve used the tap on/tap off system twice so far this week. None of the buses so far appear to have been delayed and nobody has so far seemed confused.

“I think it’s natural that people will need time to adjust to a new system, but I think it’s more efficient than those days of needing to wait for cash change from the driver.”

“For November and December I’m not using my Easysaver when taking more than 1 trip, as the price is capped at £3.00 a day for November and December.”

It was also questioned whether the “tap on tap off” system was in fact an issue for Reading Buses or simply a phone-related error.

Mr Luck responded to his original post and said: “The concept of tap-on, tap-off is great, and when I worked in London the Oyster card appeared to work well.

“The problem is, in my view, the fact that smartphones are not really up to speedy boarding and alighting.”

On the Chronicle’s original post about the new service, many also shared their opinion.

One commenter said: “Good idea although the positioning of the machine means on a busy morning/evening bus there are likely to be people stood in the way of it. I shall continue to buy on my phone.”

A spokesman for Reading Buses said: “The new tap on tap off system is significantly faster than traditional payment, as bank cards, smart phones and other payment devices simply need to be tapped on the reader when walking past. It is as simple as that.”