ByteToken and Thales help Rotterdam ring-in 2019 with new mobile ticketing for public transportation

ByteToken, Ltd., and Bytemark, Inc. in conjunction with Thales Nederland B.V., have successfully developed and delivered app-based mobile ticketing, payment and validation capabilities for Rotterdam’s public transport operator, RET (Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram.) The successful completion of this project now allows passengers to purchase tickets through an app on their smart phone, paying with iDEAL or credit card, for travel on tram, bus, BOB bus, Fast Ferry, and Metro. This application uses Bytemark’s patented visually validated ticketing and National Dutch UIC 918-3 2D barcode ticketing standard.

The rollout complements major investments by RET in gate hardware and software upgrades from Thales Nederland B.V. designed to improve the passenger experience and reduce the need to queue for tickets. Importantly, this new mobile capability will now make it possible to add further exciting developments to the app, such as joint venue ticketing where customers will soon be able to buy theatre and event tickets from the app.

Mobility is being revolutionized by mobile apps that greatly simplify transactions between commuters and transit agencies with as few touch points as possible – making it possible for passengers to access important information more directly and quickly, and to exponentially improve the convenience for those taking public transportation in the future.

For RET, this is a strong step into the future of the company. According to director, Maurice Unck, “By offering a more user-friendly way or purchasing and using a ticket, we are taking a big step towards fully integrated mobile travel servicing.” He continued, “Now that RET’s passengers can purchase tickets and travel across all modes, be it bus, ferry, tram or metro – using a single app – Rotterdam’s citizens will now be able to truly appreciate the great potential of multimodal transportation.”

“The greatly improved convenience that mobile ticketing offers can play a major role in making public transportation the preferred choice for more commuters, increasing ridership and taking more cars off the road” explained Marcus Welz, president and CEO of Bytemark, Inc. “Rotterdam is vastly improving its intelligent mobility ecosystem and allowing passengers to experience how multimodal transportation and mobile ticketing can improve, not only passenger experience, but their lives.”

For Menno Nobel, Sales Director, Thales Revenue Collection Systems, true progress starts with forward-looking vision from a city. “Thales is always developing new ways of payments in public transport, but the real key is that we have customers such as RET who have a clear vision and who are willing to be forerunners by encouraging innovative technologies, like this mobile ticketing app, for its passengers.”

Bytemark offers a comprehensive suite of products that digitalize transit passes and fare media. Along with creating the ultimate end-user experience, Bytemark provides transportation agencies with powerful fare validation solutions and cloud-based access to a

back-office portal to manage and report on their operations. Bytemark is becoming a major player in the transformation of public transportation that is taking place today — with its seamless booking, planning and payment services providing passengers with hands- free, account-based

Bytemark, together with Siemens Mobility, eos.uptrade and HaCon, provides a unique and holistic ecosystem of digital services and solutions. From trip planning across passenger communication to mobile ticketing, payment and comprehensive Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions, fleet management to train planning systems and mobility data analytics, we share one common goal: enhancing the passenger experience – with our combined power for mobility.