Cities in Asia Pacific are laying greater emphasis on deployment of advanced fare collection systems, particularly contactless payment solutions such as bank cards and mobile ticketing.

With transit agencies resuming services across the region during COVID_19, contactless ticketing can help build trust for public transportation and help in transit recovery. Ticketing options such as mobile, EMV, wallets and smartcards eliminate cash handling and direct contact between passengers and transit agency employees. Cloud based software-as-a-service (SaaS) business models, ticketing apps, and real-time passenger communication can enhance customer service and operations efficiency as transit systems prepare for recovery from the pandemic. Further, MaaS allows integration of public and private mobility options for customer-centric mobility solution and convenient payment options which are expected to increase ridership.
  
In the last one year, open loop payments and account-based ticketing system (ABT) has been launched in Singapore and Sydney. In India, the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), which has been designed as an open loop card that can be used to make retail and transit payments, has been launched and is accepted by 11 transit agencies across the country (as of December 2019).

In other cities, transit agencies have launched key initiatives to introduce mobile ticketing. Public Transport Victoria has introduced NFC-based mobile ticketing through the Google Pay app for the public transport network in the state. QR-code based ticketing system has been launched on the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line and plans have been announced to introduce it in Bengaluru and Metro Manila.
  
Programmes to promote cashless payments have also been initiated in the last few years. In Malaysia, for example, the government has launched the “Go Cashless on Public Transport” campaign. Singapore’s public transit network is planning to eliminate all cash payments by the end of this year. Cashless payments are becoming a bigger focus area in Japan. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority also introduced cashless service on buses last year.
  
New technologies are being experimented with. In China, facial recognition system has been introduced on Zhengzhou Metro and Guangzhou Metro. In Nur Sultan in Kazakhstan, Face Pay biometric ticketing pilot has been launched on a few buses.

New transportation business models that include providing Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), on-demand mobility, shared mobility including ride-sharing and car sharing, ride-hailing, micro-mobility, bike-sharing, etc. are changing the ticketing landscape. Nearly 70 cities across the world have formed partnerships to use the features of new mobility services to improve their transportation systems. Some of these partnerships include integrating the ticketing systems of public transit agencies with the new mobility service providers. For instance, Uber has partnered with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to use the Uber app to plan journeys on the metro and buses. Uber has also announced plans to introduce a common mobility card activated through a QR code, which helps the user to book tickets across modes.

Focus on MaaS is expected to increase going forward. The Beijing Municipal Transportation Commission in collaboration with Gaode Map, has already launched a MaaS app in Beijing and a six-month-long MaaS app trial was initiated in Sydney in 2019. Maas-related initiatives have also been taken in Kaohsiung, Wellington, Taipei, Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu and Oita.
  
The growth in the deployment of automated fare collection (AFC) methods and contactless payments has been due to a close collaboration between transit authorities/agencies, city governments and private players and this partnership needs to strengthen further as new business models evolve.
  
To discuss these developments, exchange ideas, and showcase new technologies and innovations, Global Mass Transit is organising the virtual edition of its fifth conference on “Transit Ticketing & Fare Collection APAC 2020” on October 28-29, 2020 from 11:00 - 17:00 Singapore Time (SGT).

Mission

The mission of this conference is to analyse key trends, discuss recent developments, highlight opportunities, discuss best practices, and showcase innovations and new technologies in the public transport ticketing and fare collection systems industry in the APAC region. The event will also focus on contactless payments for transit using ticketing options such as bank cards (EMV), mobile payments, wallets and smartcards that are being explored across the Asia Pacific region to encourage the use of public transport following the COVID-19 pandemic.