The pilot implementation of the contactless payment system with bank cards and digital wallets via activated devices (smartphones, smartwatches) on the Express bus lines of Athens International Airport (AIA) begins. By the end of the year, the contactless transaction system will be available to passengers on all public transportation services under the authority of OASA (Buses, Trolleys, Metro, Tram).
Some of the quickest flights span 2 to 20 minutes, including one over the Aegean Sea
The alternative option of using a bank card (debit, credit, or prepaid) for boarding public transport marks the entry of Athens Transport into a new digital era for the services provided to the traveling public.
Passengers, apart from the ATH.ENA Ticket or ATH.ENA Card, can now use a bank card or cards on their activated devices (smartphone or smartwatch) to board buses of the Express lines of AIA (X93, X95, X96, X97) starting today.
Within the scope of the agreed contract with Hellas Smart Ticket S.A., a subsidiary of TERNA ENERGY, in collaboration with LG CNS and with the support of Visa and NBG Pay, OASA has developed the application of the pilot contactless transaction system on specific bus routes, with the project’s horizon extending to all urban transport of the capital, by the end of 2024.
Passengers traveling to and from Athens International Airport can now alternatively pay their fare contactlessly by tapping their bank card over the bus validators with the relevant contactless transaction indication.
The equipment installed on selected buses “reads” the card or digital wallet and charges the fare value to the passenger’s account.
With this new service, Athens joins the list of European cities like Madrid, Milan, and London that offer passengers the opportunity to travel in a simple, safe, and comfortable way, contributing to the increased use of public transportation.
Public urban transportation will play a crucial role in the development of smart cities and in facilitating user mobility, with contactless payments (tap & pay) offering a secure and seamless experience for passengers and transport system operators seeking easy, immediate, and safe access to these services.
Passenger Benefits:
With the implementation of using bank cards for boarding public transportation, passengers will no longer need to:
– Purchase tickets through ticket offices or vending machines (AMAs).
– Know the available travel products to choose the appropriate one. The fully developed system will charge the passenger for the most economical fare product based on their journeys. This is an extremely user-friendly feature for passengers who are not familiar with Athens’ transportation system, such as visitors from other cities and tourists.
– Seeks sales points or provides information on queues for the purchase of tickets so as to use public transportation.
Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Christos Staikouras, commented on the implementation of the contactless transaction system in urban transportation stating, “supporting contactless payments in Public Mass Transport is one of the ten priorities we had set when reading the government’s policy statements.”
The new service was presented today at a special event at the Zappeion Megaro by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Christos Staikouras, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport responsible for Transport, Ms. Christina Alexopoulou, the General Secretary of Transport, Mr. Yiannis Xifaras, the CEO of the Hellenic Deposit and Investment Fund, Mr. Grigoris Dimitriadis, the CEO of OASA, Mr. George Spiliopoulos, the Deputy CEO of TERNA ENERGY, Mr. George Agrafiotis, and the General Manager of Greece, Israel, Malta, and Cyprus for Visa, Ms. Sevi Vassileva, and the General Manager of NBG Pay, Mr. Christoforos Chatzopoulos.
