U.S. Federal Agency Opens Procurement Program to Fare Validator Suppliers
Transit agencies in the U.S. could be able to buy fare validators through a federal government procurement program administered by the U.S. General Services Administration, as part of an initiative by the California Integrated Travel Project, or Cal-ITP.
Some Small and Mid-Tier U.S. Transit Agencies Join for Group Procurement of Fare Systems: an Emerging Trend?
Some groups of small and medium-sized transit agencies in the U.S. are looking to procure new fare or ticketing systems, hoping to get a better deal from vendors than the agencies could on their own.
Philadelphia Transit Agency Seeks to Overhaul ‘Troubled’ Fare System
For years, Philadelphia transit authority SEPTA was supposed to be the next big agency in North America to support open-loop payments. Now it appears that a launch of open loop might not happen until at least 2026, as part of an overhaul of a fare system that has been beset by delays and cost overruns.
Utah Transit Agency Hires Vendor for New Fare-Collection System
The Utah Transit Authority has hired fare-collection system vendor Scheidt & Bachmann to implement and host its new account-based ticketing system, including replacing all validators and ticket-vending machines and also swapping out its mobile-ticketing system, which itself was replaced on an interim basis last year.
Transit Operator in No. 2 Dutch City Launches Open Loop; Last Major Provider to Join Nationwide Service
RET, a bus, tram and metro operator serving the second-largest city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam, today announced it was beginning to accept open-loop payments. It’s the last major public transit company to join in the country’s nationwide open-loop service.
Dutch Transit Agencies Plan to Move Forward Linking Concessions to Open-Loop Payments
Transit agencies in the Netherlands have released more details about their plans to support concessionary fares and other popular discounts with open-loop payments, Mobility Payments has learned.
Special Report: Despite Industry Push, Few Transit Agencies Rolling Out ‘Closed-Loop EMV’ So Far
Transit agency Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, or SL, in Stockholm launched what is believed to be the industry’s first rollout of white-label EMV cards for its closed-loop customers in September 2021. To date it has issued around 1.5 million cards, which customers use frequently.
Taiwan’s EasyCard Chief: Open Loop Will Have Only ‘Marginal Impact’ on Island Nation
The head of Taiwan’s largest transit and retail stored-value card contends that open-loop payments will not make a significant impact on the island nation, given Taiwan’s strong closed-loop card programs and the expense of rolling out acceptance for credit cards and credentials.
Toronto’s Largest Transit Operator, TTC, to Launch Open-Loop Payments in Mid-2023
Riders of the largest public transit operator in Canada’s biggest city, the Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, will finally get an open-loop payments option by mid-2023. That will include the Toronto subway, a spokeswoman for transit agency Metrolinx confirmed to Mobility Payments.
Denmark on Track to Launch Nationwide Mobile Ticketing; Would It Fly in Other Countries?
Transit officials in Denmark plan to launch the first version of their national mobile-ticketing app this spring for single rides, before introducing a full pay-as-you-go version next year.