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Cubic Transportation Systems Inc. early Tuesday launched Umo ScanRide, a QR-code-based fare-collection solution for transit systems.
To pay a fare using ScanRide, consumers scan a QR code with a mobile phone. The fare is then displayed on the user’s phone screen and debited from her ScanRide wallet. Consumers can fund their ScanRide wallet with transfers from a bank account. Alternatively, consumers can purchase and add a transit pass to their ScanRide wallet.
Compatible with Cubic’s other Umo-branded contactless fare collections solutions, ScanRide does not require additional hardware and gathers data transit agencies can use for planning and operations, Cubic says. ScanRide can operate as a standalone fare-collection system or be integrated with a transit agency’s existing fare infrastructure.
In related news, payments provider NMI LLC said it has partnered with INIT Inc., a provider of public-transit ticketing solutions, to implement a contactless fare-collection system. The system supports tap-to-pay technology for credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay wallets.
Consumers initiate a fare purchase by tapping their card when they enter the vehicle. Upon exiting, consumers tap their card again to calculate the fare, based on distance. The NMI Gateway, to which INIT integrated its solution using an application programming interface, also handles deferred authorization for any transactions that fail or are declined, NMI says.
Also Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s Butler Transit Authority announced it will launch a digital-fare and data-collection platform later this month. The solution, called RideBTA, was developed in partnership with Modeshift Inc., a provider of smart technology to transit authorities.
Consumers riding the BTA will be able to purchase and validate a ticket using the BTA app on their smart phone or through the BTA Web portal. The ticketing system creates rider profiles that can be used to manage trips, track purchase history, and reload prepaid cards smart cards or digital wallets within the BTA app. The app provides transit authorities with real-time data insights to optimize operations and support data-driven decision-making.
The rollout of the new ticketing system is expected to improve the user experience for current riders and attract new riders, the BTA says. Based in Butler, Pa., the BTA is the eighth transit authority in the state to partner with Modeshift.
