Hands-free fare payment trial in 2018

This article is more than 12 months old

Oct 13, 2017 06:00 am

A hands-free payment system - which allows commuters to breeze through fare gates without using travel cards - will be tested at selected MRT stations next year.

Fares will be paid automatically via a commuter's mobile device using Bluetooth technology or with a radio-frequency identification card. These devices or cards can be kept in a bag or pocket, and do not need to be in close contact with a reader.

A prototype of this hands-free fare gate was displayed yesterday at the Future of Transport showcase in the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands.

For the trial, test fare gates will be deployed at MRT stations near support centres for the physically disabled or in areas with many senior citizens, The Straits Times understands. The aim is to see if the hands-free system allows such users to go through gates with greater ease.

Associate Professor Mehul Motani from the National University of Singapore's department of Electrical and Computer Engineering said the hands-free fare payment system will be convenient for users.- THE STRAITS TIMES