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.
Debate: Is the Industry–and Technology–Ready for Hands-Free, Be-In/Be-Out Fare Payments?
It’s no secret that interest is growing in “touchless transit” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. So technologies that enable fully hands-free fare payments, letting passengers be-in/be-out, or BIBO, are getting a serious look–as transit agencies seek to let more customers bring their own fare media and minimize passenger interaction with agency staff.
Case Study: German City First to Go Live with Check-in/be-out System in Country
Despite the growing popularity of contactless, NFC and QR-code technologies for electronic fare-collection systems, some transit agencies are experimenting with other technologies to collect fares. That includes Germany’s Stadtwerke Osnabrück, which launched the first check-in/be-out system in the country last October in the city of Osnabrück.