The coming of smartphone ticketing

The Greek capital of Athens is the latest city to move toward smartphone ticketing, using an app that allows travelers to buy a bus or train ticket from the screen of their phone, which is then scanned at a barrier, or shown to staff. This is far from the first such example: it is already used on the Heathrow Express train that travels into London from the UK’s main airport, along with other Underground and commuter lines in the capital. It is used on Boston’s T, and some lines of the New York metro, and is set to be installed in any number of other cities, such as San Francisco.

London-based company Masabi, which is backed by Bill Ford, the motor-company’s CEO, is positioning itself in the sector, with projects in London, Nassau, New York, San Diego, Massachusetts, and Athens, among other cities. An article in Wired in mid-2013 cited a study by Juniper Research, and predicted that these types of systems would triple in number in the five years up until 2018. It said most systems would use two-dimensional bar codes rather than NFC, while less-developed countries would use text messages. The trend could vary, depending on how Apple’s iPhone NFC development pans out, an option that was not available when the survey was carried out. Either way, everything would suggest that we will soon be saying goodbye to paper tickets and transport passes and uploading apps to our smartphones along the lines of airline boarding cards.

This is an obvious development: it makes traveling quicker and more convenient, and not just for residents: there is no reason not to download the relevant app when visiting a city, and in fact could be very useful when you don’t speak the language. It also saves huge amounts of money for public transport companies in terms of ticket machines, infrastructure, and staff. It also represents yet another stage in the process by which the smartphone is becoming an increasingly essential part of our lives.

(En español, aquí)