Quick response codes will now be making it more convenient to buy and validate fares.
Commuters and other passengers who take the new tram service in Edinburgh, Scotland, will now be able to use a specialized mobile app to scan QR codes in order to be able to buy and validate their tickets.
This will allow the entire process to occur through the use of the passenger’s smartphone.
To be able to use the QR codes to buy and validate their tickets, passengers must first use their smartphones to download the Flash Pass mobile tickets app. That application was created by Corethree, which is a company that is based in Watford. This app gives the passenger the ability to actually purchase tickets without having to wait in line to buy them or find the right change to purchase from a machine. Passengers can choose from among several payment methods in order to be able to buy the digital tickets that will be stored within the smartphone.
Before stepping onto a tram, users simply scan QR codes at the stop to activate their mobile ticket.
This causes an animated digital watermark to be displayed on the screen of the device in order to prove that the ticket has been successfully validated. Once the passenger boards the tram, the driver or the Ticket Services Assistant (TSA) will check the ticket using a special scanner. This allows the individual to be able to verify that it is a genuine ticket.
The QRcodes at the stops can also be scanned to be able to obtain more information on the expected arrival times of services within a specific line and on future services that are soonto be released.
The application is completely free and is compatible with devices based on the Apple iOS and the Google android operating systems. The m-ticketing mobile app has a scanner for QR codes built right into its various features. According to Stevie Chambers from Transport for Edinburgh, “Working in partnership with Corethree, we’ve recently updated our m-ticketing app with new features and a fresh look under the Transport for Edinburgh brand.”
