Apple Pay coming to Miami fare system in August — Appleosophy — “Miami-Dade County’s fare system for their transit is set to begin accepting Apple Pay and other forms of contactless payment systems, such as Google Pay and Samsung Pay. According to an image found on Reddit, it would appear as though the Miami-Dade County transit system is set to begin accepting Apple Pay in August 2019.”
- TfL reports on mobile payments adoption on London’s transport network
- Translink to pilot NFC tags at Queensland bus stops
- Toronto to pilot bank card payments on public transport network
- Delhi Metro explores biometric transit cards for concessionary fares
- STIB tests contactless bank cards on Brussels Metro
Metrolink rolls out open loop ticketing on Manchester trams
Passengers set to benefit from new contactless payments on Metrolink — Transport for Greater Manchester — “The new system will mean customers can simply touch-in at the start of a journey and touch-out at the end using a contactless bank card or another contactless-enabled payment device, such as a phone or watch. The system will then automatically work out the total daily fare for a customer’s journeys and the price will be capped — to ensure they are paying no more than the relevant adult daily one-day travelcard price.”
Hong Kong commuters to get iPhone and Apple Watch ticketing ‘later this year’
Octopus coming soon to iPhone and Apple Watch — Octopus — “Octopus Cards Limited is excited to announce that customers will be able to use their Octopus on their iPhone or Apple Watch for transit and retail payment with Apple Pay later this year. More details will be shared soon.”
Transport for NSW eyes face recognition for frictionless transit card payments
NSW looks to facial recognition as Opal card alternative — iTnews — “In the transport space we’ll use facial recognition technology to scan customers who’ve ‘opted in’ and linked their Opal account… No more gate barriers – just a smooth journey.”
Uber reports on adoption of in-app transit ticketing in Denver
Uber’s move into transit ticketing has resulted in a “strong initial performance” with more than 1,200 Regional Transportation District (RTD) tickets sold through the Uber app since the service launched in Denver in May and growth “averaging 42% each week during the rollout period”... More
Greater Anglia lets train passengers use NFC phones to top up travel cards
Dramatic increase in Smart Card use — Greater Anglia — “We’ve upgraded our Greater Anglia app so that if you have an Android phone, you can hold your Smart Card against it and it will automatically transfer the products you have bought from the website or app, onto your Smart Card… We’ve also enabled staff phones to be able to instantly check the validity of Smart Cards. So passengers can use their card with confidence, and at the same time the systems we have introduced will help to detect and prevent fraud.”
Paris begins contactless transit card rollout
The first of a new range of contactless transit cards and passes are now being made available in Paris, enabling bus, tram and metro users to begin replacing cardboard tickets with contactless alternatives... More
Apple Pay to add support for Octopus transit cards in Hong Kong
Apple Pay Octopus to launch in Hong Kong with iOS 13 — Ata Distance — “Octopus on Apple Pay will launch in Hong Kong with iOS 13. The iOS 13 beta contains specific Apple Pay Octopus references along with Apple Pay server side references which indicate that OCL is likely field testing with the latest beta.”
Public Transport Victoria reports strong takeup for Mobile Myki transit cards
Nearly 100,000 travellers in the Australian state of Victoria have used the Mobile Myki NFC-based mobile transit ticketing service since its launch in March with adoption set to accelerate further after the addition of support for the Apple iPhone, which is planned for 2019-20.... More
Queensland to roll out state-wide open loop ticketing for trains, buses and ferries
Train and bus ticketing via phones and plastic to be tested in regional Queensland — ABC News — “The new system allows train, bus and ferry rides to be paid for with the swipe of a credit or debit card, smartphone wallet or smartwatch… The project in Queensland comes with a A$371m (US$257m) price tag, but unlike systems interstate and overseas, it will take in regional cities including Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and the Gold Coast.”
China’s national transit card system to cover 260 cities this year
One metro card to cover 260 cities in China — ECNS — “China’s nationwide public transit card, usable on both bus and subway routes, will cover 260 cities at prefecture level and above this year, according to the Ministry of Transport. That means a passenger holding one card can take buses or subways in any of the designated cities and enjoy local preferential policies, ensuring travel convenience.”
Transit operators report on plans for a cross-border transit ticketing platform for Europe
Developing cross-border ticketing in public transport networks — Intelligent Transport — “Based on the concept of account-based ticketing, nationally differing ticketing systems can be linked without the need to change existing national standards. Key to the success of this is letting different systems coexist, but while introducing an interoperable layer that can connect the different existing national systems.”
MTA reports continued uptick in contactless card usage on New York subway
MTA: Latest Omny numbers ‘exceed even our most ambitious’ projections — Gothamist — “After sharing higher-than-forecasted numbers from Saturday (the first full day of service), the latest user numbers (which reflect numbers from Saturday through Wednesday) reveal that 38,987 people have used Omny at pilot locations… The MTA had expected weekly usage to be about 6,000-12,000 users on the subways and 800-1,500 on buses.”
MTA: 80% of Omny users paid with an NFC phone on launch weekend
More than 10,000 people tapped into MTA’s contactless payments this weekend — Crain’s New York Business — “The authority anticipated it would register between 6,000 and 12,000 tap-ins per week under the pilot for the system… About 6,100 people paid through Omny in the subway on Saturday and another 4,400 on Sunday. The MTA said about 80% of Omny payments last weekend came through phones.”
Uber adds e-bike rentals to London transport app
Uber has launched a trial of its pedal-assisted electric bikes in London as part of its strategy to become an all-round transport app... More
Paris to switch on NFC mobile ticketing for bus, tram and metro services in September
Commuters in the greater Paris region will be able to use their NFC mobile phone to store Navigo transit passes and T+ prepaid ticket books from September 2019... More
Visa survey highlights benefits of open loop cards for transit payments
Chase and Visa provide an easier way to get around New York City with a tap — Visa — “More than two-thirds (67%) of riders have missed a train while waiting in line to reload a transit card, according to a recent Visa survey of more than 1,000 New Yorkers who take public transportation. Eight out of ten (83%) people surveyed said they have had trouble getting their transit card to work at the turnstile. And two-thirds (66%) have left or forgotten funds on a transit card, at an average of $35.10 lost.”
TriMet rolls out NFC ticketing for iPhone users
Portland-Vancouver’s Hop Fastpass becomes first transit fare card in North America on iPhone — TriMet — “Starting today, riders in the Portland-Vancouver region can add a Hop Fastpass card to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone and Apple Watch to ride TriMet, C-Tran and Portland Streetcar.”
NFC and contactless transit ticketing to go live in New York City from 31 May
About Omny — The MTA — “Starting on May 31, 2019, you can use Omny onboard all Staten Island buses and at all subway station entrances on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42 Street and Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr. All remaining bus routes, subway stations, and Staten Island Railway locations will be equipped by late 2020. You will be able to use Omny for commuter rail by early 2021.”
MetroRio launches contactless transit ticketing payments in Brazil
Brazilian transit operator MetroRio, which runs the Rio de Janeiro Metro, has begun the rollout of contactless payments in partnership with Visa, Banco do Brasil, Bradesco and Cielo, becoming the first transit operator in the world to use the new Visa Secure Access Module (SAM) technology as part of the project... More
