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ACT launches mobile ticketing collection app for Transport Scotland

ITSO Registered Supplier, ACT Applied Card Technology Limited is working with Transport Scotland to pilot ACT’s mobile ticketing collection app, which will make smart ticketing even more convenient for passengers in Scotland.

NFC enabled mobile collection

The mobile collection app makes collecting transport tickets on an ITSO smartcard simple and convenient. Although there are many smart ticketing schemes that enable passengers to top up their smartcard online, it can take up to 48 hours for the ticket to be processed for use on the transport network. Passengers will soon be able to buy their ticket online, anytime, anywhere, use the NFC enabled mobile collection app to collect their ticket and use it to travel just 15 minutes later.

Gary Watts, ACT CEO, described a typical morning scenario: “Passengers will be able to buy their ticket online while eating their breakfast, use their mobile phone to load it onto their smart card and get straight on the bus at the nearest bus stop. That creates a much easier start to the day for busy commuters and makes door-to-door transport a more convenient option.”

Working with bus operators and local authorities, Transport Scotland will pilot the mobile collection app for use with the Saltire-branded ITSO smartcards that connect multimodal travel across Scotland.

Many multi-operator schemes are already operating using the Saltire-branded ITSO smartcards, including the Grasshopper scheme in Aberdeenshire and the ABC scheme in Dundee. Smart season tickets are currently available on every ScotRail route, on the Glasgow Subway and offered by several bus companies across Scotland.

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands said: “The Scottish Government is working with technology supplier ACT to deliver new ways to plan and pay for travel. We are piloting this new app which will make it quicker and easier for travellers to buy their tickets before they travel. It will also give customers confidence as they will be able to see what they have purchased before they begin their journey.

“This is another key milestone in ensuring that all journeys on Scotland’s bus, rail, ferry, subway and tram networks can be accessed using some form of smart ticketing or payment.” 

Any NFC device with the collection app installed can read and update a Saltire branded smart card and view the details of the products on the card by placing it over their NFC device, making it so much easier for passengers to organise their day-to-day travel requirements.