Bank cards and smartphones to be used to board public transport
The government is expected to proceed by late March with a pilot application allowing the use of bank cards and smartphones to board public transport, in addition to tickets and passes.
The Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA) said the new applications of the Automatic Toll Collection System (AASK) upgrade will allow the use of bank cards and mobile devices for traveling with public transportation around Athens (metro, tram, bus, trolleybus) while providing the system with the possibility of supporting MaaS (Mobility as a Service) for interconnection with mobility partner applications such as taxis, electric bicycle rentals, airlines, ferry companies and more.
This means passengers will no longer need to purchase tickets through ticket offices or ticket machines and will also no longer need to choose a specific ticket for their journey. The system will be able to analyze the travel data and the charge on the card will be proportional to the journey.
The new system is expected to facilitate travel for passengers who are not familiar with the Athens travel system, such as tourists.
The first phase of the implementation will be applied to the vehicles of the express airport bus lines by the end of March, while the entire application will be available for use by passengers by the end of 2024.
