LA Metro in the US city of Los Angeles has added support for fare capping to its TAP transit ticketing system so passengers making contactless fare payments with their physical TAP transit card or mobile app pay no more than the price of a daily or weekly pass no matter how many journeys they make on any given day or in any seven-day period.

Passengers on services operated by the 26 transit agencies that support TAP in LA County previously could purchase daily, weekly or monthly passes in advance, but the addition of fare capping enables them to add stored value onto their TAP card or mobile app and pay as they go up without needing to commit to purchasing a pass before they travel.

The fare-capping service enables regular fare passengers to pay no more than US$5 a day and no more than US$18 a week, while passengers entitled to reduced fares — including senior citizens and people with disabilities — will pay no more than US$2.50 a day or US$5 or US$6 a week, respectively.

“The all-in-one system and fare-capping ability streamlines fare payments for riders, simplifies operations for Metro and consolidates the number of fare products needed to create a comprehensive rider experience,” technology provider Cubic says.

“Fare capping arrives at an ideal time in Los Angeles, as the city prepares to host multiple mega events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics — each anticipated to draw millions of global citizens,” Cubic adds.

“Not only will the ability to pay [by] contactless make the visiting rider experience easier — but fare capping will make transit the most affordable and sustainable option for attendees. This will help reduce congestion across the region during these historic, heavily attended events.”

A short video explains how the fare capping service works.

LA Metro began letting passengers add their TAP transit card to an Android NFC smartphone in February 2021 and to their iPhone or Apple Watch in September 2020.

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