California Issues Notice of Intent to Award Contracts to Vendors for Planned Statewide Open-Loop Payments Rollout
California state officials late Tuesday released a list of seven bidders it intends to award contracts to for the supply of core technology for the state’s ambitious plan to help more than 300 transit agencies roll out open-loop fare payments statewide.
Vietnam Bus Operator Launches Contactless Open-Loop Payments in Small Rollout; Backers Hope Other Transport Modes Will Follow
A privately owned bus company serving Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, has launched contactless open-loop payments on board its new electronic buses, and reports say officials and bankers would like to see contactless EMV payments expanded to other modes of transport.
Moscow Metro Sees Modest Take-Up in Use of Face Pay So Far; Repeats Prediction that Up to 15% of Regular Riders Will Use Service
Moscow Metro has 45,000 users of its Face Pay service since launching its rollout of facial recognition fare-payments in mid-October, the transit agency said today, in releasing more details about how the service works.
Australian Transit Agency to Launch Mobility-as-a-Service Trial as It Pursues Long-Term MaaS Strategy
Plans by Transport for New South Wales, Australia’s largest transit agency, to launch a trial enabling users to plan, book and pay for multimodal rides is the next step toward the agency’s long-term goal of building a full mobility-as-a-service, or MaaS, platform.
Updated: U.S. Transit Agency Seeks to Reduce–Though Not Eliminate–Cash Acceptance with New Fare-Collection System
The Spokane Transit Authority in Washington state confirmed that it will launch its new fare-collection system next October, though only as a beta test to begin with, a spokesman told Mobility Payments.
UK Government Seeks to Bring London-Style Contactless Fare Payments System to Other Regions
The UK government’s plan to equip 700 rail stations over the next three years to accept contactless open-loop payments is a major initiative, as it seeks to replicate the success of London’s contactless pay-as-you go fare payments system elsewhere in the country–a goal that has proved elusive in the past.
Collaboration with Uber and Lyft: Two Years on, Transactions Remain Low; Suspicions Run High over Data Sharing
When the Regional Transportation District of Denver began enabling Uber to sell its bus and train tickets in May 2019-in the first integration of its kind in the world-it was seen as a rare example of a public transit agency and a private ride-sharing company putting competition aside and working together.
Large German Transit Operator to Test Check-In/Check-Out App, as Pandemic Increases Demand for Mobile Ticketing
BVG, Germany’s largest transit operator, still plans to launch a test of a check-in/check-out mobile-ticketing service this year, as it continues to experiment with new fare payments methods amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Contactless Fare Payments Double for Moscow Metro, as Agency Focuses on New Payments Services
Moscow Metro said contactless fare payments have doubled this year, as the large transit agency continues to add acceptance points for a range of contactless bank card brands and NFC wallets.
More Cities in Finland Expected to Move to Open-Loop Fare Payments
A fourth city in Finland is beginning to roll out contactless open-loop payments, with “more in the pipeline,” according to one supplier on the project, making the Nordic country one of the latest hotspots for the technology.