Alliance Swisspass is testing a digital public transport fare

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The trade association Alliance Swisspass provided information on Wednesday about its pilot project “myRide” for the digitization of fares in public transport. The so-called “post-pricing” – costs depend on past consumption – is being tested with a Switzerland-wide e-tariff as a new type of subscription, Alliance Swisspass announced in a background discussion.

The travel consumption of customers in the past should determine the current price level, the e-tariff. You will only be billed after an undetermined term. Exactly how that works remained open during the background discussion. “We are in an experimental phase,” says managing director Helmut Eichhorn.

Prices will remain the same for now

Technical solutions, including an app and a system to anonymously track a person’s travel consumption, are currently being developed. The often annoying ticket purchases for each trip should be completely eliminated with the new e-fare. However, Alliance Swisspass cannot yet say exactly when which innovation will be introduced.

The focus of the test phase, which starts in 2023 and is expected to end in 2024, is on public transport customers in the Zurich region. Alliance Swisspass analyzes the needs of approximately 1.5 million people in Switzerland who have a monthly subscription.

According to the trade association, the rates should probably remain at the current level of the already available subscriptions. Concrete calculations of possible savings for individual customers have not yet been made. There is a large number of actors – politicians, transport companies or tariff associations – who determine prices, it is said.

Half-Fare travelcard and GA remain

According to Alliance Swisspass, projects parallel to “myRide”, such as a credit subscription, which will be introduced in 2024, will continue. Offers such as the general subscription (GA) or the half-rate card will continue to exist.

Most recently, the trade association announced a rate increase for the end of 2023. Rates are expected to rise by an average of 4.3 percent across the entire range of tickets. The half subscription should be five francs more expensive. Prices for the GA are expected to rise by an average of 5.1 percent. Alliance Swisspass described the price increases in early April 2023 as inevitable – partly because of inflation and the federal government’s savings plans. (SDA/sq)

Source:Blick