Transport for London (TfL) are preparing to roll out near field communication (NFC) payments on buses by Thursday.

The NFC payment system had initially been planned for release during the summer Olympics but difficulties from ‘complexities’ had led to delay.

Shashi Verma, TfL’s director of customer experience, had said previously: "We are leading the world in pioneering this exciting new technology that will make paying for journeys quicker, easier and more convenient for passengers on London’s transport network.”