SPX Genfare has been awarded a contract by the transit system of the nation’s seventh largest city to upgrade its fare collection process.
VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, Texas will replace a 20-year-old system with Genfare’s newest electronic fare media collection and data management technology for a better and more convenient transit experience.
VIA added Primo bus rapid transit to its mix in December 2012. They also provide paratransit service for riders with special needs.
President and CEO of VIA, Jeffrey C. Arndt stated, “VIA has invested in many innovations that have improved the riding experience for our customers. In recent years, we introduced free Wi-Fi access on many of our buses and at several transit centers. We created a mobile app for smartphones. We put into service buses and vans that are powered by electricity, propane, compressed natural gas, and hybrid technology. And now we have replaced our old fare boxes with a new electronic fare collection system by Genfare that enhances our customer experience while making it possible for us to implement future technological improvements such as smartcards and mobile ticketing.”
VIA will be adding SPX Genfare’s Odyssey Plus fareboxes and the e-Fare web based sales and management solution. Odyssey Plus accepts and processes magnetic fare and smart cards, in addition to accepting, issuing and validating electronic transfers. The web based e-Fare is a smart card solution that allows riders to buy and update fare media online using a computer, tablet or smart phone.
The innovative solutions Genfare has developed fits perfectly into what VIA wants to accomplish for its ridership, says Larry Chefalo, SPX Genfare’s director of sales for the Midwest region.
“VIA is taking a substantial leap by adopting our state-of-the-art technology to give their ridership more simple and flexible options. When this system is in place, passengers will be able to easily use high security smart and magnetic cards.”
