This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
4/25/2012
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Masabi U.S. Ltd. have announced they will launch a mobile ticketing service to MBTA commuter-rail riders starting in fall.
The system will be the first smartphone rail-ticketing system in the United States, according to MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials.
Riders will be able to purchase rail tickets and passes with applications for iPhones, Androids and Blackberrys. Once tickets are purchased, customers will be able to use and display them directly on their phone screen, MBTA and MassDOT officials said in a prepared statement.
“With this new and innovative approach, we are putting a ticket machine right in the palms of our customers’ hands,” said Acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis.
Because less than half of MBTA’s 140 commuter-rail stations have fare vending machines, many riders pay for tickets on board. Now, riders can buy tickets via credit or debt cards directly from their phones.
MBTA expects to reduce costs by eliminating the need for additional vending machines and cutting cash-handling expenses.