Japan’s JR East in No Hurry to Support Open Loop as Suica E-Money Continues to Grow
JR East, the giant Japanese railway company, is the largest single transit agency so far to not yet introduce open-loop payments of fares. And the agency has signaled no plans to support the technology.
That is bucking a trend in the Asia, where more major transit agencies are supporting the technology or plan to do so. That includes Land Transport Authority in Singapore, the Skytrain and MRT in Bangkok, and the launch late last month of open loop by Mass Transit Railway, or MTR, in Hong Kong. The Taipei
Florida Transit Agency to Link Concessionary Discounts to Open-Loop Payments
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority in Florida plans to enable eligible riders to receive their concessionary discounts when using open-loop payments, one of the few transit agencies anywhere to do so, Mobility Payments has learned.
The authority, PSTA, which launched open-loop payments last February along with two neighboring agencies, plans to enable customers who tap contactless credit and debit cards–and also NFC payments
Special Report–France: Strong Growth in Open Loop, but Mainly for Occasional Riders; Paris Still Missing in Action
Nearly 50 cities or regions have adopted open-loop payments in France or are scheduled to launch within the next year (see table on this page), with more in the pipeline.
It may be premature, however, to call France an open-loop hotspot like the UK and some other countries. The vast majority of French transit authorities that support open loop restrict the service to single rides.
Hong Kong’s Metro Operator to Launch Open-Loop Payments Before End of 2023
The operator of the large Hong Kong metro system announced it will launch open-loop payments Dec. 23, initially restricting card and mobile wallet acceptance to Visa-branded cards under an apparent exclusivity and marketing deal with the payments scheme.
Philadelphia Launches Much-Delayed Open-Loop Service, as It Procures New Fare System
Philadelphia transit authority SEPTA launched its long-delayed open-loop payments service Friday under its existing contract with fare-system supplier Conduent, even as the authority pursues the procurement of a new fare system that could end up replacing the vendor.
SEPTA, or Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, launched open-loop on its buses, subway and trolleys, with commuter rail planned for early next year. All modes together will “include” use of 4,200 terminals that Conduent supplied, a SEPTA spokesman confirmed Friday to Mobility Payments.
San Diego Transit Agency to Target Infrequent Riders with Open-Loop Payments–at Least at First
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, or MTS, and a smaller affiliated transit agency are planning to introduce open-loop payments in April–deep in the heart of car-centric Southern California.
The open-loop rollout is part of an account-based fare system, which MTS and its main vendor, Germany-based INIT, began rolling out a little less than five years ago.
Taipei Finally Agrees to Support Open-Loop Payments, though Service Could be Tough Sell to Regular Riders
The Taipei Metro, a major transit operator in Asia, plans to launch open-loop payments around 2025, Mobility Payments has learned. Taipei has been one of a dwindling number of the large cities that have resisted adopting the fare-payments technology.
Scottish Bus Operator Sees High Adoption for Open Loop, though Rate Doesn’t Include Generous Concessions
Transport for London isn’t the only transit agency in the UK seeing high adoption rates for open-loop fare payments. Among the others is Scottish bus operator Lothian Buses, which said its contactless penetration is nearing 60%.
But like Transport for London, which has touted 60%-plus open-loop adoption rates, Lothian’s high share of rides paid for with credit and debit cards and NFC wallets comes with a caveat.
Australian City Plans to Expand Open Loop to Entire Transport Network
Adelaide Metro, which serves Australia’s fifth largest city, plans to roll out open-loop payments throughout its transport network, including on its most-used mode, buses.
The agency is now installing around 1,300 validators on board buses for the rollout of the open-loop service by the end of this year. It’s following that with installation of another 1,100 validators on trains,
San Francisco Plans to Launch Open-Loop Payments Next Year; Will Maintain Strong Closed-Loop Clipper Card
San Francisco Bay Area transit officials are standing by their estimate for a launch of open-loop payments in 2024, as part of their account-based ticketing rollout, featuring a next-generation closed-loop Clipper card.