Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA) bus riders can now purchase fare products online and ride VVTA buses with a smart card or mobile app with VVTA’s newly launched TouchPass electronic fare collection (EFC) system.
The new hassle-free payment options streamline the passenger boarding process and help maintain on-time performance. VVTA says technology is central to its mission and with The TouchPass Card or Mobile App available on the App Store (iOS) and on Google Play (Android), passengers with the TouchPass Card or the Touch Pass Mobile App simply tap their card or show their smartphone to the TouchPass reader by the fare box to ride the bus.
“Boarding the bus is now as easy as flashing a pass or mobile phone app at the TouchPass reader located near the farebox when boarding,” said VVTA Deputy Director Nancie Goff. “Gone are the days of fumbling around for exact change on a crowded bus with a line of anxious passengers behind you. The TouchPass system makes boarding stress free. The ability to prepay for fare makes budgeting simple.”
Developed by Delerrok, VVTA says it began piloting the system with a soft launch in early September 2019 with great success. Since then, VVTA migrated many of its popular paper bus passes to TouchPass smart cards. Now, to begin 2020 looking towards the future, TouchPass is now available to all passengers.
“VVTA is driven to provide the latest technology that will enhance our passenger’s experience,” said VVTA Executive Director Kevin Kane. “With the recent addition of onboard Wi-Fi, electronic fare payment is VVTA’s natural next step into the future.”
The TouchPass account-based electronic fare collection system stores account information on secure servers rather than on the cards themselves, as was the with case older systems of this type. This allows passengers to buy fare products anywhere, including ticket windows, online and on the mobile app. Once purchased, fare can be used instantly.