Citymapper Pass — Citymapper — “Our Pass on day one will cover public transport, cycles (Santander’s Docked scheme) and cabs (our Citymapper Ride service). Over time we will add other modes and partners such as additional cycle and cab services, car sharing, scooters and well.. whatever else gets invented next… Pass will integrate with Apple Pay and Google Pay so users can decide to use them as virtual cards as well.”
- Atac brings contactless transit ticketing to Rome
- Denver adds support for Transit in-app ticketing
- Guangzhou Metro pilots facial recognition at ticket barriers
- Ankara adds NFC transit ticketing on buses, subways and local trains
- JR East introduces loyalty points for transit ticketing payments
Delhi Metro to add biometrics to ticketing gates?
Biometric scans for discounted metro rides in Delhi — The Times of India — “In the new fare collection system, it will be possible to issue smart cards to individuals with their biometric data stored in them, ensuring that only they could use the card and not anyone else. Commuters, who will be provided concession on metro fares, need to get their finger scanned while entering or exiting a metro station, to ensure that only genuine commuters get the benefit of the concession.”
Hong Kong rolls out tap-to-collect travel rebate system
Hong Kong transport subsidy scheme launches with minor hiccups for tap-and-go Octopus card top-ups at stores — South China Morning Post — “Under the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme, commuters with monthly travel expenses exceeding HK$400 (US$51) received subsidies of 25% of the difference between their total cost and this sum, capped at HK$300… Commuters can collect the subsidy for the previous month via the Octopus App or at more than 1,800 collection points around the city… For those who pocket the subsidy at convenience stores, they will also be given a HK$10 coupon for purchases in the same shop.”
UK consults on replacing high-value rail tickets with open loop cards
The UK Department for Transport has launched a consultation as it looks to expand account-based ticketing beyond London into areas which would see rail commuters using their bank cards as high-value tickets. More
Boston to begin move to contactless ticketing ‘in late 2019’
T automated fare collection system expected to be completed by May 2021 — Curbed — “The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority expects to complete the T’s switch to an automated fare collection system by May 2021, but will begin rolling it out on a limited basis in late 2019… Riders will use a fare card, a smartphone app, or a contactless card to tap and board. Riders will be able to reload the fare cards and apps online and at vending machines in all T stations and at select bus stops.”
Uber to add transit ticketing support to its mobile app
Uber users will be able to use the ride hailing giant’s mobile app to pay for public transportation fares as well as taxi rides “soon”. The new service is set to launch first in Denver, Colorado. More
Belgian transit operator to deploy open loop multimodal mobility-as-a-service platform
Flanders public transport operator De Lijn selects Conduent Transportation to deploy next-generation fare collection system — Conduent — “The first phase will enable the use of contactless public transport operator payment cards and bank cards based on the cEMV (contactless Europay, MasterCard and Visa), aggregated pay-as-you-go transit model 2… A future phase of the platform will support mobility-as-a-service with the integration of various mobility providers such as car sharing, bike hire and taxis.”
Public Transport Victoria begins NFC ticketing pilot in Melbourne
Victorians to trial Android-based public transport payment — ZDNet — “Mobile Myki allows passengers to buy a Myki, top up, and touch on and off using their Android smartphone. Passengers will be able to buy full fare, concession, child, and senior mobile Mykis using both Myki money and Myki pass. Auto top-up will also be available.”
Tokyo Metro tests rewards program for transit card holders who avoid peak travel times
Tokyo Metro aims to ease morning rush hour overcrowding — with free soba and tempura — The Japan Times — “Tozai Line passengers who register with the campaign will be eligible to receive coupons that can be used at Metro An, a soba noodle shop affiliated with the subway operator… Users need to sign up to Tokyo Metro’s early-rising campaign for Tozai Line passengers and register their IC card information beforehand… To participate in the initiative they need to go through the ticket gate before a certain time of the morning, which depends on the station.”
Dutch rail operator pilots open loop ticketing service
On trial: Travel with a bank card or credit card — NS (Translation) — “Starting this weekend, the first travellers can check in and out with their own payment card instead of the OV chip card… Travel expenses incurred are processed overnight after the travel day and debited through the bank.”
Juniper forecasts a billion mobile ticketing users in 2019
Mobile ticketing users to reach 1.9bn by 2023, catalysing urban mobility revolution — Juniper Research — “Users of mobile ticketing will total 1.9bn by 2023, up from 1.1bn in 2019. In comparison, the total number of digital ticketing users across mobile, online and wearable channels, will reach 2.2bn by 2023.”
MTS to roll out open loop ticketing on buses and trains in San Diego
MTS partners with Init for account-based fare system in San Diego — Init SE — “Init will deliver about 900 fare validators for use on MTS buses and at rail station platforms. The validators will accept closed-loop payments such as an MTS-branded smartcard and be capable of accepting open payments such as bank-issued debit/credit cards and mobile wallets using Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay.”
Octopus lets Hong Kong commuters use NFC to link their transit card to their mobile phone
Octopus App enhanced with more customer-centric mobile services — Octopus — “Octopus users with compatible Android NFC devices can simply enter their Octopus number into the Octopus app and tap their Octopus onto the back of their mobile phones. Users with iOS devices (or Android devices without NFC) can enter the Octopus number into the Octopus app, then visit any of the 50 Octopus service points that are conveniently located all over Hong Kong to tap their Octopus within seven days to complete the registration and verification process.”
Sydney commuters can now use Fitbit wearables to pay for transit rides
Sydneysiders can now use Fitbit Pay to quickly and easily tap on & off at transit readers — Fitbit — “Following the contactless payment strategy rolled out by NSW Transport on Sydney’s ferry, light rail and train networks in November, Fitbit users can now use selected Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards loaded into their Fitbit Pay Wallet to pay for their trip… Fitbit users in Sydney with a Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Versa and its newest tracker, Fitbit Charge 3, can now leave their Opal cards at home and instead use Fitbit Pay on their Fitbit device to quickly and easily pay for public transport.”
Metrolinx to let commuters top up their Presto transit card with their NFC phone
New app will let Presto customers pay from their smartphones — Ottawa Sun — “Metrolinx, the Crown agency that oversees the Presto system, has just released a new beta version of an app that will eventually allow customers to avoid the line by loading their cards directly from their smartphones… Users will be able to load funds directly using their debit or credit card, check the remaining balance of their account and set up a notification system to alert them when their funds are too low or their passes near expiry… Android phones with near field communication (NFC) capabilities will be able to load their funds instantaneously by simply pressing their cards against the back of their smartphones.”
Rambus to provide multimodal NFC ticketing solution to South Yorkshire’s bus, tram and train operators
South Yorkshire TravelMaster selects Rambus to deliver innovative e-commerce ticketing system — Rambus — PARTNER NEWS — “The solution will allow customers to purchase a range of flexible multi-operator tickets, valid on any bus, tram or train throughout South Yorkshire, online and in-advance through a retail portal on the TravelMaster website. These tickets can then be loaded onto a smart card via on-vehicle ticketing machines or through NFC-enabled and compatible smart phones.”
Vancouver commuters ‘queue down the block’ for TransLink transit ticketing wristbands
People already scalping TransLink’s Compass Wristbands online — CTV News — “People ended up queuing up down the block when the wearable technology went on sale at 7:30 am, and it only took about three hours for TransLink to sell out. ‘I’ve gotta say, this is a little more than we expected,’ spokesperson Jill Drews said. ‘But it’s great. We’re glad people love the wristbands’.”
TransLink pilots wearable transit ticketing payment bands
Introducing Compass Wristbands — TransLink — “To help improve customer convenience, we’re introducing Compass Wristbands — a Compass Card that you wear on your wrist! We’re offering a limited release of 1,000 adult wristbands and 1,000 concession wristbands starting December 3… Tap in and out when travelling on transit and reload online, at a Compass vending machine, by phone or in person. Just like a Compass Card, you’ll pay a $6 refundable fee when you pick up your wristband.”
Network West Midlands integrates its transit card with Google Pay
UK regional transportation operator Network West Midlands is piloting a new service that lets its Swift transit card holders store their cards in Google Pay, enabling Android NFC phone owners to tap on to West Midlands Metro trams without needing to first open an app or select their Swift card. More
Beijing to pilot face recognition payments at railway ticketing barriers
Facial recognition ticket gates to be introduced this year — Metro Report International — “The gates offer two operating modes. In the first, a passenger’s photo is stored on a physical ticket, and when the passenger touches in at the ticket gate this photo is compared with a live image… In the other mode, a live image is compared with a photo previously uploaded to a database, so no physical ticket is needed. This offers operators the ability to block specified people from entering the network.”
