Payment for Prague Public Transport Fares to Go On-Line and Mobile

Passengers could be saying good-bye to those red validator boxes as early as next spring

Expats.cz Staff Jason Pirodsky

Written by Expats.cz StaffJason Pirodsky Published on 27.06.2017 13:12:52 (updated on 27.06.2017) Reading time: 1 minute

Forgetting to purchase, validate, or otherwise manage metro, tram and bus fares can be a constant source of frustration in the life of a daily Prague commuter.

Today’s news could make the ticketing process a bit smoother.

Prague city councillors have just approved what is being called “a multi-channel check-in system” which would allow passengers to conveniently pay for public transport fares on-line or via a mobile app, iDnes.cz is reporting.

The new dispatch system will introduce an option to pay for individual tickets and pre-paid time tickets via the e-shop and through the mobile application.

The e-shop service, which is being prepared by Czech company Operátor ICT, could commence operation as early as March of next year.

It would mean, among other things, an end to the validators required to activate Lítačka passes and, previously, Opencard.

Direct project costs are anticipated to exceed 43 million CZK, and another 23 million have been allocated for modifications to the existing systems.

The new system purportedly allows for the preservation of the existing options to purchase fare including traditional paper coupons and ticketing or payment via SMS.

This is just one of many “smart” changes that have transported Prague transit into the 21st century with stronger mobile signals, Wifi buses, trams, and busstops, card payments, and other innovations making headlines in recent years.

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