Helsinki Regional Transport has begun the rollout of EMV contactless payments across the Finnish capital’s rail, bus and ferry network... More
Buses
MTA extends Omny payments to Manhattan buses
Omny contactless card payment availability is being expanded to all local buses in Manhattan this month, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced... More
Transport Canberra to add support for card and smartphone payments
A new ticketing system is to be introduced for users of public transport in the Australian capital city of Canberra... More
Metro do Porto to add support for contactless payments
Public transportation users in the Portuguese city of Porto will be able to begin using their bank card to tap on and off metro and tram services from the second quarter of 2020, Metro do Porto has announced... More
Port Authority to pilot mobile ticketing on Pittsburgh buses
Port Authority to begin testing pay-by-smartphone; rollout expected by the end of the year — Port Authority of Allegheny County — “Hardware is being installed so Port Authority employees and select stakeholders can begin testing the application and associated hardware… Public testing and the public release of the mobile application are expected to occur later this year.”
MTA to add new Omny contactless fare options
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is to add support for “all remaining fare options, including unlimited ride passes, reduced fares, student fares, and more” to its Omny contactless payments service from next year... More
Sao Paulo to roll out contactless payments across bus network
All buses in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo will accept payments via Mastercard and Visa contactless cards, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay by the end of this year, local business magazine Exame reports... More
Uber adds Las Vegas transit tickets to mobile app
Uber has added support for transit tickets issued by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) to its mobile app, enabling users to buy passes from within the app and then use their smartphone to board Las Vegas bus services... More
Transport for NSW to pilot digital Opal card
Transport for NSW has announced plans to pilot a new digital version of its Opal transit card that will enable cardholders to “pay for all modes of transport — whether it be light rail, a bus, on demand service, taxi or Uber — with a single tap of their phone.”... More
Contactless payments expand to Miami bus services
Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works has rolled out support for contactless payments across its Metrobus fleet, making it possible for commuters to use contactless cards and NFC mobile phones to pay for both bus and rail fares across Miami, the sixth most densely populated city in the US... More
SEPTA to roll out NFC mobile ticketing in Philadelphia
SEPTA, the transportation authority for the Greater Philadelphia region in the US, is to add support for Google Pay and Apple Pay across its network of subway, rail, trolley and bus services from the “spring or early summer” of 2020... More
NFC ticketing to go live on Washington DC trains and buses in 2020
Starting some time next year, you can tap into Metro with an IPhone — DCist — “The service will be available on Apple products first, but a Google spokesperson confirms that the company is also working with Metro to launch a mobile card for Android users in 2020… Once Apple turns on the service, it will be available to use at every station, on every bus, and in every parking garage on the system — anywhere SmarTrip can be used.”
Transport for London tests Apple Pay Express Transit mode
Apple Pay’s Express Transit mode working in parts of London Underground — MacRumors — “Apple Pay’s Express Transit mode has been functional on at least some tube and bus routes in London since last Tuesday or so, according to multiple MacRumors readers… Express Transit mode eliminates the need for users to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode or even wake their device when they pay for rides with Apple Pay.”
Scotland unifies transport ticketing infrastructure
Public transportation users in Scotland can now use a smart transit card issued by any of a group of 16 different bus, rail and subway operators to travel on all the services provided by any of the other members of the group... More
First Group reports on contactless and mobile ticketing adoption on UK bus services
Bus passengers turning to contactless in record numbers, says First Group — Yahoo! Finance — “More bus passengers paid with contactless and mobile apps rather than cash on First Group’s local bus routes for the first time in its history, the company has revealed. According to bosses, 43% of payments were made by cash, with 45% made through non-cash methods, in the latest push towards a cashless society. The remainder came from ticket sales via third parties.”
Ireland seeks replacement for Leap transit card system
Plans put forward for new transport ticketing — The Irish Examiner — “The National Transport Authority (NTA) has issued a market consultation notice to engage with potential service providers as part of its plans to advance the implementation of an Account Based Ticketing (ABT) system across the bus, rail, and light-rail network. It will allow passengers to pay for their journey through mobile phones, bank cards, or official ID card or passport, removing the need to carry a special card for commuting.”
MTA to expand Omny open loop ticketing to all New York bus services and subway stations
New York’s Omny contactless fare system is to undergo “a blitz phase of installations that will bring the popular new contactless fare payment system to all 472 stations as well as all MTA bus routes by the end of next year,” the city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced... More
Translink to pilot NFC tags at Queensland bus stops
Public transportation agency Translink is exploring the use of NFC technology as a replacement for paper timetables at bus stops in the Australian state of Queensland, iTNews reports... More
STIB tests contactless bank cards on Brussels Metro
STIB testing use of bank card as metro ticket at entrance gates — The Brussels Times — “STIB is testing a new system of contactless payment at metro station Parc/Park to allow travellers to directly scan their bank card, instead of a ticket, at the gates. If everything goes well, all other metro stops, as well as the electric buses on bus line 33, will be fitted out with the contactless system over the next few months.”
First Group adds NFC bus tickets to Google Pay
Public transportation operator First Group has begun a pilot of a new mobile ticketing service that uses host card emulation (HCE) to let customers with an Android NFC phone purchase a bus ticket, provision it to Google Pay and then use their smartphone to tap an on-board contactless reader when they board a bus... More