Launch of pilot implementation of the contactless payment system via bank card in the Express buses of the Athens International Airport
Starting today, April 24, 2024, the pilot implementation of the contactless payment system using banking cards and digital wallets via enabled devices (smartphone, smartwatch) begins on the Express bus lines to the Athens International Airport (AIA). By the end of the year, the contactless transaction system will be available to passengers and cover all public transportation under OASA jurisdiction (Buses, Trolleybuses, Metro, Tram).The new service was presented today at a special event held at the Zappeion Megaron by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr Christos Staikouras, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for Transport, Ms Christina Alexopoulou, Secretary General of Transport, Mr Giannis Xifaras, CEO of the GrowthFund, Mr Gregory Dimitriadis, CEO of OASA, Mr Giorgos Spiliopoulos, Deputy CEO of TERNA ENERGY, Mr Giorgos Agrafiotis, and the Regional Director for Greece, Israel, Malta, and Cyprus for Visa, Ms Sevi Vassileva, and the General Manager of NBG Pay, Mr Christoforos Chatzopoulos.
The alternative option of using bank cards (debit, credit, or prepaid) for boarding public transport signifies the entry of services offered to the public using the Public Transport of Athens into a new digital era.
Passengers, in addition to the ATH.ENA Ticket or ATH.ENA Card, can now use a bank card or the cards on their enabled devices (smartphone or smartwatch) to board the Express bus lines of the Athens International Airport (X93, X95, X96, X97). Payment cards issued by authorised institutions are also included.
OASA, in the context of an agreement with Hellas Smart Ticket S.A., a subsidiary of TERNA ENERGY, in cooperation with LG CNS and with the support of Visa and NBG Pay, has developed the pilot contactless transaction system for these bus lines, with the goal of expanding the system to all urban public transport in the capital by the end of 2024.
Passengers travelling to and from the International Airport of Athens, can now choose to pay for their ticket contactlessly. All they have to do is board the bus and tap their banking card over the ticket validation machines marked for contactless transactions.
The equipment installed on the selected buses reads the card or digital wallet and charges the fare to the passenger's account.
With this new service, Athens joins the list of European cities, such as Madrid, Milan, and London, that offer passengers a simple, secure, and convenient way to travel, promoting the increased use of public transportation.
Public urban transportation will play a critical role in the development of smart cities and in facilitating user mobility, with tap & pay payments offering a secure and seamless experience for passengers and transportation system operators who seek easy, immediate, and secure access to these services.
Benefits for Passengers
By using bank cards to board public transportation, passengers will no longer need to:- Purchase tickets from ticket counters or ticket vending machines (AMEK).
- Be aware of the available ticket products to choose the right one. The system, when fully deployed, will charge the passenger the most economical fare product, based on their travels. This is an extremely useful feature for passengers who are not familiar with the Athens transport system, such as visitors from other cities and tourists.
- Look for points of sale, or wait in lines to buy a ticket in order to travel by public transport.
This project: brings urban transport in the modern era, promotes smart mobility, facilitates passengers of public means of transportation,
further encourages their use by both citizens and visitors to the capital, reduces transportation costs, and contributes to increased revenues of transport operators. In the initial phase, the tap & pay system will be implemented on the Airport Express Bus Lines, while the full system will be available to passengers by the end of 2024.
By then, the effort being made by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport to modernize public transport will be more visible to citizens, as in a few weeks, 140 new electric buses will be added to the routes of the city of Athens.
With these new vehicles and services we are proving our commitment to putting our plan into action.
We are steadily building a sustainable urban mobility environment in the capital, creating infrastructure and enhancing services that will benefit citizens for years to come."
The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for Transport, Ms Christina Alexopoulou, emphasized: "With the installation of this system in public transport, we expect a reduction in fare evasion, which will lead to an increase in revenue. “We are digitizing services,” the Deputy Minister highlighted, “and simplifying procedures for the benefit of citizens, and we are planning to further leverage new technologies to significantly improve transportation and reduce the environmental footprint.”
The Secretary General of Transport, Mr Giannis Xifaras, noted: "Contactless payments greatly facilitate the daily life of regular public transport passengers as well as visitors to our city. At the same time, they unlock the opportunity for the public transport of Athens to integrate with other mobility applications. This enables us to offer combined journeys also using means of transportation other than OASA, with a unified fare. The automatic selection of the cheapest fare package by the system itself, without the passenger having to prepay for a service they may ultimately not use, is particularly important. Therefore, waiting in lines for card renewals and ticket purchases is eliminated, the cost of our journeys is reduced, and new opportunities for combined transport are created.”
GrowthFund CEO Mr Gregory Dimitriadis, stated: "Public transport in Athens is changing. It is entering a new era, becoming more digital and more user-friendly by adopting new technologies that offer more freedom and make travel easier for passengers. This transformation falls under the overall strategy of the GrowthFund, which emphasizes the modernization of public interest enterprises. In collaboration with reliable partners, we are advancing the gradual digital transformation of public transport with the aim of improving citizens' daily lives and promoting more environmentally friendly urban mobility.”
The CEO of OASA, Mr Giorgios Spiliopoulos, highlighted: "A very important chapter opens today for the capital's public transport. The first stage of the implementation of the contactless transaction system for boarding all public transport under OASA's jurisdiction is now in operation. This is yet another step in the digital transformation of the Athens' public transport.
Athens Transport, keeping pace with developments in advanced transport systems, is now joining the list of European metropolitan authorities that apply smart city practices (London, Brussels, etc.). With the technological upgrade of OASA's ticket issuing and distribution information system, the level of service for millions of our fellow citizens who use public transport daily for their commutes is significantly improved.”
Speaking about the progress of the project, Deputy CEO of TERNA ENERGY, Mr Giorgos Agrafiotis, noted: "Adaptation and evolution are at the core of the superiority of PPPs over Public Works, especially in projects involving long-term operation and maintenance, as they undergo continuous improvements and modernization due to changing circumstances and technological advancements. Today, we are starting with the pilot implementation on the airport line, and by the end of the year, we will complete the installation across all OASA means of transport. At the same time, TERNA ENERGY has completed the development of the electronic ticketing software for Thessaloniki and is now beginning the installation on the city's transit systems, thus ensuring their effective interoperability with the Thessaloniki Metro, and their readiness for its scheduled launch.”
Ms Sevi Vassileva, Visa General Manager for Greece, Israel, Malta and Cyprus, said "The new contactless payment system marks the beginning of a different travel experience on public transport. Simpler, faster and easier for those who live and work in Athens, or are visiting the city. Contactless payments in public transport contribute to the creation of more efficient and sustainable cities, while also being an essential solution for combining security and convenience. In over 750 urban mobility projects worldwide by Visa, we have seen an increasing and more active participation, with contactless payments being key to facilitating access to and use of public transport.”
Mr Christoforos Chatzopoulos, General Manager of NBG Pay, pointed out: "We are very proud of this innovative service, which sets new standards in urban mobility and upgrades public transport operations in our country. We will continue to monitor trends in the digital payments sector and adapt to market needs."