In-Depth: Venice Open-Loop Service Projected to Launch Next Fall Following Unconventional Procurement Process
AVM, the Italian public transit agency that runs buses, trams, water buses and shuttles in Venice, plans to launch its open-loop payments service next fall after apparent delays, the agency said Monday, following official award of a contract as part of its unconventional procurement process for open-loop technology.
Netherlands Begins to See Major Launches of Open-Loop Payments in Long-Anticipated National Rollout
One of the largest public transit operators in the Netherlands, GVB, has launched open-loop payments on its metro, buses and trams serving Amsterdam, providing a significant piece of what Dutch transit officials have promised will be a nationwide account-based ticketing system featuring open loop.
Rome’s Major Transit Operator Expands Open-Loop Service to City’s Buses and Trams
Rome transit operator ATAC announced Thursday that it has begun expanding its open-loop payments service to its buses and trams, more than three years after launching the service on the Rome Metro.
Visa Seeks to Boost Open-Loop Payments in Asia Pacific, Where Technology has So Far Lagged Behind
In a region that has lagged behind in open-loop payments rollouts, Visa Tuesday sought to showcase the two largest launches to date in Asia Pacific, in Sydney and Singapore, where representatives of transit agencies said they are seeing strong adoption of the technology by customers.
Canadian City to Launch Its First Closed-Loop Contactless Card Rollout Today
Canada’s fifth largest city, Edmonton, launches its first electronic fare card today, with the closed-loop contactless Arc card becoming available for standard adult fares. An open-loop payments service will eventually follow, Cameron Grayson, director, transit innovation programs for the Edmonton Transit Service, or ETS, told Mobility Payments in a statement.
Transport for London Launches Procurement of Major Fare-Collection Contract
Transport for London yesterday launched its much-anticipated call for tenders to find the next vendor to run its high-profile fare-collection system–with the so-called “Project Proteus” expected to be one of the most expensive and complex fare-system contracts now in play globally.
Updated: Budapest Transit Agency to Launch Open-Loop Payments Pilot with Help from Mastercard
Budapest public transit operator BKK will launch a pilot of open-loop payments on its airport shuttle bus line early next year, a project that involves Mastercard.
Four Vendors Expected to Bid on Large Fare-Collection Project in Ireland
Ireland’s National Transport Authority, or NTA, said it remains on track to award a contract for its major procurement of a nationwide account-based ticketing system–including support for open-loop payments–by late next year.
MaaS Global Discloses Licensing Deal for Its Technology; Will It be Enough to Save Company?
MaaS Global founder and CEO Sampo Hietanen disclosed this week that the mobility-as-a-service start-up has a licensing deal with major Italian insurance company Unipol to introduce MaaS, though could offer few other details about the project.
Small U.S. Transit Agency has Big Ambition to Eliminate Cash
Despite significant costs for handling cash, very few transit agencies in the U.S. have eliminated cash from their fare-collection systems. But the head of one small bus agency in South Carolina, which recently launched open-loop payments, says he plans to try.