Catalonia introduces mobile ticketing for public transport
The Catalan Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet, has presented a system for purchasing single tickets through a mobile app. This will speed up access to public transport and facilitate the maintenance of the safety distance.
The pilot test begins on the ‘exprés.cat’ bus lines in the Barcelona area operated by Sagalés and Moventis but is expected to be extended to the other lines.
The Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority and the Department of Territory and Sustainability are launching a pilot test for interurban bus users to buy single tickets using each operator's mobile application, thus eliminating the use of cash and speeding up the ride in the vehicle and the task of the driver.
The initiative was presented today by the Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet, through a video conference: "We improve and make life easier for both users and drivers, as it eliminates cash, return change, and is gaining in security and time". For the Minister, "today we take another step in digitization, in a very specific field that is the single ticket. For now, the pilot test will begin on exprés.cat bus lines in the area of Barcelona operated by Sagalés and Moventis, but the intention is to extend it to other lines.
Users must download or update operator apps (for Android and iOS) from app stores on both platforms (Google Play or App Store). The new version will include a section called "Purchase of single tickets" that will allow the acquisition and validation of tickets from the mobile. The application guides the user to purchase the single ticket by selecting the express bus line, its address, and the stops of origin and destination, as well as the number of units you want to buy. Once you have paid by credit card, the purchased tickets will be saved in the corresponding section of the application.
Before boarding the bus, the user must validate the corresponding single ticket by clicking on the button indicated. Thus, the ticket will become "in use" and will be automatically displayed on the mobile screen. Once on the bus, the ticket must be shown to the driver, who can easily validate it visually. The system will greatly speed up the entry of vehicles, reducing queues and congestion inside and making it easier to maintain a safe distance between people. Online ticketing is also a protection for the driver and an aid to his work.
