Cell Phones May Be Used Soon Instead of Tickets by the Chicago Transit Riders

According to a report by the Associated Press, Chicago's Regional Transit Authority is looking at a plan that would allow Chicago Area commuters to pay for rides using their cell phones. Money would be deducted from a rider's online account.

With a wave of their phone over a sensor, riders could board buses or trains as quick as a beep while the fare is automatically deducted from their online account. No cash, paper ticket or pass would be needed.

Similar technology's already being used in Europe and Asia. And a recent trial of the technology in San Francisco led that city's Bay Area Rapid Transit system to consider employing it, repoted the AP.
“I think it’s one of the most promising technologies out there,” commented Joseph Moriarty, the RTA’s principal analyst. “More people carry a cell phone than carry credit or debit cards.”

Once implemented, it’s a system that could extend to other transit systems around the country, meaning an NFC phone is all a rider would need to access transportation in San Francisco, which has already tested NFC, or Chicago. No cash, paper ticket or pass would be needed, AP reported.

(May 28, 2009)