Metrolinx selects Bytemark for mobile ticketing app
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
Metrolinx, Toronto’s regional public transportation provider, has selected mobile transit ticketing supplier Bytemark to develop a mobile ticketing system for Union Pearson Express, the soon-to-open regional rail link connecting Toronto Union Station with Lester B. Pearson International Airport.
In addition to a free mobile app, which will give UP Express riders the ability to buy and store rail tickets on their smartphones, Bytemark’s system will support ticket sales both online and onboard.
Bytemark will release the app in in third-quarter 2015, after UP Express becomes operational. After downloading the free app to their smartphone, riders can purchase e-tickets that generate custom QR (Quick Response) codes and can be stored on their phone. Conductors will be able to sell, print, and validate tickets onboard using the 120-plus handheld devices Bytemark will deploy. Additional features, including the ability to purchase tickets online via travel sites such as Expedia and Kayak, will also be part of Bytemark’s custom-built system.
A New York City startup with offices in the UK and Australia, Bytemark provides mobile ticketing and payment systems for transit, attractions, and events. In January 2012, Bytemark launched the first mobile ticketing app for a major U.S. transit agency, the NY Waterway app, and the company says it “continues to provide its partners with the necessary tools to navigate the rapidly evolving mobile ticketing industry. Transit has been underserved by the expansion of mobile technology, and Bytemark is working to bridge the gap between the transit industry and North America’s growing technology sector.
