Grand Besançon Metropole, in collaboration with Keolis Besançon and Kuba, launches an open payment service

26th January 2022

An innovation for mobility

As of Monday, 31 January, passengers using the bus and streetcar lines on the Ginko network will benefit from a new service. Bank card payments for their trip can now be made directly on the validator. This is the first phase of deployment for open payment on urban lines, the second phase of which will take place on suburban lines in September 2022. This new system allows passengers to validate a 1-hour Travel Pass simply by presenting their contactless bank card, smartphone or connected watch (equipped with NFC technology) in front of a validator on board the vehicle. As with the Ginko Travel Card, multiple validations are possible for up to 9 companions and the passenger must validate these in transit. Trips are centrally calculated within a few hours, thus debiting the user's bank account for the trips made, generally towards the end of the day. The ginko.voyage website presents a dedicated platform that allows users to track their consumption after creating a personal account or providing their credit card number. In the event of a check, the traveller will simply have to present his or her bank card to the Ginko controller. This is made easy as Ginko control agents are now equipped with new, more efficient control equipment.

A single validator for better efficiency ans comfort

Grand Besançon Métropole and Keolis Besançon Mobilités have chosen to directly integrate open payment functions into the existing KUBA (ex-Vix) validator, thus offering greater efficiency and comfort for the user. Currently, the vast majority of networks equipped with open payment have two on-board validators: one for transit tickets and the other for bank cards. This single validator simplifies the process for all users, including people with visual impairments or difficulties moving around in the vehicle (people with reduced mobility, the elderly, etc.).