ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) announced this week that it has launched a new contactless mobile ticketing app called EZfare to make riding public transit more convenient and safer amid the global health crisis.
Now, riders are no longer required to physically exchange money, passes or tickets.
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TheRide joins 13 other transit agencies from around the Midwest that use the mobile payment system which is powered by service provider Masabi. EZfare is now the largest mobile ticketing platform in the country.
Users can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play. Fares can be purchased anytime, anywhere. The app operates as a Ticket Wallet and upon boarding, users simply have to show the driver their active ticket on their phone screen.
For complete instructions on how to download and operate the app, visit www.theride.org/fares-passes/mobile-ticketing. EZfare is also integrated with Moovit, Transit and Uber apps.
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“While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our agency, we’re pleased to be able to introduce a contactless method of payment for riders,” John Metzinger, TheRide’s deputy CEO, finance and administration said in a statement. “This pilot project will help reduce the risk of virus transmission from our system, while also allowing TheRide to test community reactions and the potential for a permanent mobile ticket option in the future.”
“Masabi’s cutting edge Fare-Payments-as-a-Service approach to mobile ticketing is the bedrock upon which EZfare has been built, providing a quick, safe and cost-efficient route to modernization and inter-agency co-operation that has been easily implemented,” Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi said in a statement. “We have been excited with the response of riders across NEORide agencies so far, and are thrilled to expand to TheRide, allowing travelers to realize the benefits of cashless technology via a single solution.”