Summary - Transit Ticketing & Fare Collection APAC 2023

The Asia Pacific region continues to be one of the biggest markets for deployment of ‘contactless and digital payments’ for transit. Global Mass Transit Research’s analysis reveals that nearly 190 upcoming urban rail projects in APAC offer an AFC opportunity worth over USD7.16 billion by 2030.

While smartcards continue to be the most popular fare media, increasing focus is being laid on deployment of mobile ticketing and bank cards, as well as integration of ticketing systems on city, regional and national level. Global Mass Transit analysed fare systems in around 150 cities in the region, of which nearly two-thirds have unveiled plans to launch bank cards for the first time, followed by mobile ticketing.

In the ASEAN region, cities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have already deployed bank cards and mobile ticketing. Several others including the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have announced plans to install contactless payment systems. Further, there is focus on deployment of app-based and QR-code based mobile ticketing in Indonesia and Philippines. In Australia and New Zealand, open-loop systems are being deployed to integrate ticketing at a national level.

In the South Asia region, India is leading the deployment of bank cards and open payments. Launched by the Government of India, National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) deployment is rapidly being deployed on public transport systems. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will launch mobile ticketing for the first time. In East Asia, China and Japan are leading the deployment of NFC-based mobile ticketing. South Korea has already deployed credit cards, debit cards and ABT, while Taiwan has announced plans to deploy open-payment systems.

Agencies and operators are experimenting with newer fare system technologies in order to provide a ‘touchless travel’ experience. Gyeonggi-do Province Transportation Bureau in China launched a tagless fare payment system that uses bluetooth technology. Indonesia is looking to deploy facial recognition system on public transport. Palm-recognition payment method was introduced in Beijing in June 2023. JR West trialled contactless biometric fare payments at Osaka Metro stations in Japan in January 2023.

New transportation business models including Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), on-demand mobility, and shared mobility including ride-sharing and car sharing, ride-hailing, micromobility, bike-sharing, etc. are changing the ticketing landscape. Many cities have announced plans to deploy MaaS platforms in partnership with startups and private companies. A total of 37 cities in the Asia Pacific region have announced plans to deploy MaaS, with cities in Japan leading the way.

Increasing focus on integrating ticketing across multiple levels has opened up opportunities for private players entering into the market. Nation-wide open loop ticketing is underway/planned for Australia, India, New Zealand and the Philippines. Further, value-added offerings are also being extended by agencies and governments for larger integration.

To discuss these developments, highlight new opportunities, and showcase new technologies and innovations, Global Mass Transit is organising the sixth edition of “Transit Ticketing & Fare Collection APAC 2023” conference on October 10-11, 2023 at The Westin, Singapore.

The mission of this conference is to discuss deployment of contactless payments for transit including bank cards (debit, credit, EMV) and mobile payments, highlight the opportunities in open loop payments and ABT, analyse key trends, discuss best practices, review recent developments, showcase innovations and new technologies, assess relevance of emerging concepts such as MaaS, SaaS, cloud computing and mobility-on-demand (MOD), and discuss the importance of data for optimising operations and customer service.

The two-day conference will have 14 targeted sessions with speakers providing insights and actionable advice to deploy advanced fare collection systems, highlighting developments and opportunities, and offering solutions to enhance the customer experience. The conference will also help participants understand the role of transit agencies, operators, fare system providers, hardware and software suppliers, acquirers and technology suppliers in establishing advanced, integrated and interoperable ticketing systems.

The event will bring together experts from leading transit agencies/transport authorities and operators, state/local governments, system integrators, technology and service provider firms, smartcard companies, technology and equipment manufacturers, mobile ticketing vendors, credit card companies, data architecture and IT firms, fare collection system suppliers, dynamic multiservice journey planners, taxi fleet operators, ride-hailing and ride-sharing service providers, micro-mobility providers, ticketing infrastructure providers, industry consultants, research and development organisations, financiers, technical institutes, etc.

Current size of the Asia Pacific transit fare systems market
Key emerging trends and future outlook
Strategies to revive ridership and increase revenue post-covid
Plans of transit agencies/operators for deploying contactless payment technology
Considerations in selecting type of contactless fare payment system
Cooperation among different stakeholders
Project delivery and financing models
Best practices in procurement, financing and deployment
Integration and interoperability on city, regional and national level
Benefits and challenges pertaining to the integration and interoperability associated with new mobility solutions, value-added services, etc.
Mobile wallets and EMV cards for transit payments
Integration of mobile ticketing with the existing infrastructure
Partnerships among transit agencies, mobile operators and financial institutions
Potential of bank cards for transit ticketing, business models and strategies
Account-based ticketing (ABT) and open-loop payment systems: Case studies and future plans
Security for open loop payments
Data generation, data sharing, data analysis and privacy
Potential and benefits of data generated by use of advanced ticketing systems
Concept of MaaS, deployment of MaaS and benefits to users and transit agencies
Role of ABT and open payments in MaaS
Relevant new mobility trends and innovative technologies, such as SaaS, cloud computing, blockchain, etc.
Integrating public transit with taxis, car-sharing schemes and new mobility solutions
Role of smart ticketing in building smart cities
Trip planning and ticketing services
Prioritising equity, accessibility and inclusion in transit through fare systems