Latin Americans spend 25 days a year in transportation

The Latin Americans spend an average of 92 minutes a day in traffic, which is equal to 25 days a yearaccording to data from the study ‘How to harness the power of urban mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean’, which he published Visawhich also emphasizes the need to introduce payment methods with mobile devices in order to encourage the modernization and use of public transport.

“For people to start preferring public transport over private means of transport, programs and policies are needed that improve access and comfort, services with better coverage, a more modern fleet, shorter travel times and simpler payment options,” the company explains in a statement. .

The countries in the region with the greatest penetration of contactless payment methods, such as mobile phones or smart watches, are Chile (93%), Peru (88%) and Guatemala and Panama (80%).

According to Visa, a survey conducted by the multinational among 75 companies worldwide revealed that 80% detected an increase in the number of passengers due to the inclusion of universal payment systems, while 94% of public transport users expect contactless technology for their convenience.

Various payment options

In cities like Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Guatemala City and San José (Costa Rica)total transactions increased by almost 10% among users who started using cards in public transport, while the reactivation of travel credentials that had been inactive for at least three months was promoted.

With universal or open payment systems, travelers have the ability to pay securely and conveniently with the credentials they use for other purchases at different merchants, the company says.

“The latest Visa survey showed that 94% of public transport users now expect to be able to pay ‘Tap-to-Ride’ (contactless) technologywhile 83% of transportation service providers still do not have a plan to implement the technology, so it is clear that we are passing an inflection point,” said the vice president of the Andean region of products and urban mobility for Latin America and the Caribbean, Humberto Guihur.

“We are evolving into a world where consumers expect to be able to pay by ‘faucet’ (contactless) on public transport, so it is only a matter of time before systems adopt this technology,” he added.

Sustainable urban mobility

The report also shows that efforts have been made to reduce the carbon footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as Santiago de Chile, which has a fleet of 287 electric buses and eight charging terminals.

In Bogotá (Colombia), new charging stations will supply 379 electric buses, and in Peru the first electric bus will be launched in October 2023.

In addition, these projects already include open-loop payment technology, which gives travelers access to different methods, because “when customers feel they can pay with their preferred card or app, they tend to travel more often because of the security and trust this provides.”