They have beaten CIE/RPA to it. The BBC has reported on the launch of a smartcard for daily, weekly or monthly travel on Translink bus and rail services. Prices appear quite reasonable and are broken into 3 zones as follows:
Zone one covers Metro bus services in Belfast and Ulsterbus services operating in the city, railway services between Belfast and Holywood, Jordanstown, Mossley West and Derriaghy and all stops in between, as well as the Airport Express 600 service which covers George Best Belfast City Airport.
Adult top-ups cost £5 a day, £20 for a week and £70 a month.
Zone two is valid on Metro bus services, rail journeys between Belfast and Bangor, Carrickfergus, Antrim and Lisburn and all stops in between, and Ulsterbus services for towns within the zone including those in Bangor, Carrickfergus, Antrim and Lisburn.
It also includes Ulsterbus services within the zone’s boundary, including Bangor, Carrickfergus, Lisburn, Antrim, Comber, Newtownards, Ballygowan, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Templepatrick and Ballyclare.
Adult top-ups cost £9 a day, £35 for a week and £125 a month.
Zone three covers all Translink bus and rail services and costs £15 a day, £55 a week and £195 a month.
All children’s fares across the three zones are half the cost of the adult ones.