Transport for London Launches Procurement of Major Fare-Collection Contract

London bus

Transport for London yesterday launched its much-anticipated call for tenders to find the next vendor to run its high-profile fare-collection system–with the so-called “Project Proteus” expected to be one of the most expensive and complex fare-system contracts now in play globally. […]

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Special Report: More Agencies Taking Modular Approach to Build Their Fare Systems, Shunning Single-Supplier Model

Metrolinx presto

Transit agencies planning to roll out new electronic fare-collection systems have typically hired automated fare-collection vendors to handle the entire projects, from supplying the validators and payments processing to building or procuring the back office and integrating the various parts into a complete system. […]

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UK Government Seeks to Bring London-Style Contactless Fare Payments System to Other Regions

Network Rail station-Liverpool

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. […]

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Special Report: Interest Grows in ‘White-Label EMV’ for Closed-Loop Transit Cards

Woman holds up new SL closed-loop card based on white-label EMV.

As more transit agencies introduce open-loop fare payments, interest is starting to grow in use of white-label EMV cards that agencies can issue in place of proprietary closed-loop cards for riders who don’t have bank cards or don’t want to use them to pay fares. […]

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In-Depth: Contactless Transactions Soar, but Transport for London Affirms that Oyster Will Remain Payments Option

Contactless open-loop payments have surged in recent months for Transport for London, returning to their steep growth trajectory before the pandemic, and now account for 70% of all pay-as-you-go, or PAYG, trips on the London Underground and two-thirds of PAYG trips on buses. And contactless has surpassed 50% of all trips–including those made with season tickets (see new chart below). […]

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Transport for London to Offer Weekly Fare Capping with Oyster Cards; Move Expected to Drive Even More Riders to Pay as You Go

In a move expected to make Transport for London’s pay-as-you-go model even more dominant and further erode support for season tickets and other period travel passes, the agency today said it will introduce weekly fare capping for PAYG transactions with its closed-loop Oyster card on rail and Underground trips starting Monday­– years after it began supporting the feature for open-loop contactless payments. […]

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