A recent study commissioned by France’s second largest public transport operator SYTRAL has concluded that switching to a ticket-free scheme on Lyon’s TCL network would be financially unsustainable and would jeopardise the development of the network on the long-term. According to the press release issued by SYTRAL, free service would reduce certain operating expenses such...
Study concludes free public transport in Lyon, France unsustainable
Buying tickets onboard costs 150,000 hours yearly in Paris
The city will launch a new bus network on April 20th to improve bus regularity and increase speed
Buying tickets onboard implies a serious waste of time. Paris bus journeys lose 150,000 hours every year to drivers selling transport tickets. Consequently, Ile-de-France Mobilités has launched a three-week campaign to encourage travellers to buy their ticket before taking the bus. The aim is to save time and money, as well as facilitating bus...
Metro de Madrid open fare gates project keeps growing
33 stations keep the fare gates open and only close when a person does not validate the ticket
Last year, Metro de Madrid launched an open fare gates pilot test, keeping the fare gates permanently open for customers, and closing only when someone tries to pass through without validating their ticket. The trial started in February 2018 at Alsacia station and continued at four other stations in late March. Currently, 33 stations...
Unlimited electronic tickets at Beijing subway
The Chinese metro system rolls out passes that allow passengers to travel as many times as they want within fixed time periods
Beijing subway has made available five additional unlimited electronic tickets on its subway network, which will be usable on all lines except for the airport shuttle. With these tickets, passengers can now change lines as often as they want within a fixed time period. Tickets will be available for one, two, three, five or...
Wristbands, a new way to pay for public transport
Vancouver’s transport agency TransLink trials alternatives to Compass Cards
Vancouver’s transport agency TransLink keeps innovating in ticketing options. After deploying the Compass Card fare system two years ago and introducing a Tap-to-Pay system earlier this year, TransLink is testing wristbands an alternative form of paying. “We are always looking for new ways to improve customer experience” they state. Wristbands would work as the...
PRESTO fare card system shows “continued performance below targets”
The electronic payment system in Ontario (Canada) is costing millions and does not achieve the expected reliability rates to fully eliminate tickets, passes, tokens and cash
The electronic payment system PRESTO, which works across local transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and Ottawa, has a long way to go. According to an internal Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) briefing obtained by Toronto Star newspaper, PRESTO shows “continued performance below targets”. Problems with operating transactions and card readers keep...
Front door boarding and ticket validation in Greek buses to crack down fare evasion
After one week of implementation, the measure has achieved a 100% increase in ticket validation
The Greek government is determined to crackdown fare evasion in buses. Since early July, only front door boarding is allowed. Also, passengers must validate tickets in front of drivers. This approach already exists in many other European cities. In some cases, like Rome, it goes beyond. According to figures released by the Managing Director...
Hands-free ticketing trialing in Singapore
A six-month pilot test is running at four MTR stations to make it easier for people with disabilities to enter and exit
Singapore is testing a new hands-free ticketing technology to make it easier for people with disabilities to enter and exit stations. The trial, which started late June, will run for six months in four MRT stations and involves 50 participants. The trial will allow Land Transport Authority (LTA) to assess the effectiveness and feasibility...
Open-door validation tests in Metro de Madrid
Fare gates remain open permanently and only close when someone does not validate their ticket
In general, fare gates in public transport do not open unless passengers validate their ticket. This practice, which intends to guarantee payment of use, is implemented in the vast majority of subway systems around the world. Metro de Madrid, however, is thinking of applying another approach already existing in Tokyo: open-door validation. The Spanish...