In-Depth: Possible Paperwork Error Holds Up Multimillion Euro Fare Project in Sweden
Did low-cost Czech vendor Mikroelektronika fail to adequately provide proof that it paid its taxes and fees for its tender in Sweden?
That seems to be the key issue holding up the awarding of a contract for a planned new open-loop fare system, including buying and installing 8,000 new validators
California Open-Loop Procurement Program Has Another Disappointing Quarter, with Low Orders and Adoption
Vendors with master service agreements under the California Integrated Travel Project, or Cal-ITP, received orders for validators of just under $70,000 combined, with gateway and inspection fees accounting for another $11,200.
The updated figures come from records obtained by Mobility Payments from the California Department of General Services.
U.S. Agency Capital Metro Set to Replace Incumbent with Cubic in ‘Emergency Procurement;’ Some Other Vendors Raise Questions
A recent decision by Austin, Texas, transit agency Capital Metro to award a contract to Cubic Transportation Systems for a new fare system is a big win for Cubic’s Umo platform, but the award is raising some questions among industry vendors over the way CapMetro has conducted the procurement, Mobility Payments has learned.
CapMetro officials, although they are believed to have heard presentations from a total of five fare-system vendors (see below), have yet to explain why they decided against holding a full procurement
Appeals Shake Up Procurement of New Fare System in Sweden’s No. 2 City
There may be a counter-appeal to a ruling last month by an administrative court in Sweden that nullified Czech Republic-based vendor Mikroelektronika’s expected award of a new fare system contract in Sweden’s No. 2 city, Gothenburg.
Mikroelektronika has likely filed the new appeal, disputing the Swedish court ruling July 9 that stripped
San Diego Transit Official Touts Ease of Use of Open Loop but also Describes Challenges to Support Technology
While touting the convenience and ease of use of open-loop payments, an official with San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System recently called for more “standards” and consistency in implementation of the technology.
Israel Maldonado, director of fare technology and operations for MTS, speaking at a recent conference,
MBTA and Cubic Launch Open-Loop Payments in Boston Under Recent Project Change Order
Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority launched the first phase of its long-delayed, nearly-billion dollar, fare project, introducing open-loop payments to riders of the subway, buses and two trolley lines Thursday.
The launch came only two months after the MBTA board approved a major change order, in May, that
Tip Sheet: Jakarta to Launch Open-Loop Payments This Year on Sole Metro Line, with Help from Mastercard
Jakarta, Indonesia, opened its first metro line serving the megalopolis of more than 10 million people in 2019, and so far only accepts fares from closed-loop contactless cards and single paper tickets bearing QR codes. Soon it plans to add an option for open-loop payments, with assistance from Mastercard.
The service could launch as soon as October at all 13 stations of the line. Four gates will be enabled at
Bangkok Transit Agency Disappointed with Open-Loop Adoption Rate with Credit Cards; Rolls Out Prepaid EMV Card
Open-loop payments account for 13% of rides on the main metro line of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand in Bangkok. Many transit agencies would be happy with that adoption rate–especially less than two and a half years after introducing the service.
But Thai MRT officials are disappointed. And that’s a key reason they launched a prepaid Visa-branded
Toronto’s Metrolinx Launches Virtual Closed-Loop Presto Cards for Apple Devices
Toronto-area transit agency Metrolinx today launched its closed-loop Presto card in the Apple Wallet for use with iPhones and Apple Watches.
The move comes nearly eight months after Metrolinx enabled customers to load Presto cards into Google Wallet. Since then, around 40,000 users have tapped their Android devices to take nearly 6
U.S. Intercity Train Service Faces Challenges with Open Loop, but Says ‘Contactless Payment Works on Rail’
Capitol Corridor, believed to be the first intercity passenger rail service to pilot open-loop payments in the U.S., plans to expand the trial soon and is installing contactless readers on all of its trains for an eventual rollout.
But the Northern California rail service, which is the largest transit agency supporting the state-backed open-loop procurement program Cal-ITP, has encountered some challenges that other transit agencies introducing open-loop payments don’t have to deal with.