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Bluetooth tech enables passengers to board buses without cards

By Korea Herald

Published : March 18, 2022 - 17:14

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Passengers will be able to get on public buses in Gyeonggi Province without tapping their cards as its provincial office decided to expand the use of contactless payment solution on Friday.

Starting Monday, a total of 1,760 buses travelling 212 routes throughout the province, will be equipped with the new fare payment technology. Double-decker and double-door buses were excluded from the scheme.

Bluetooth communication system between the beacon installed in the vehicle and the passenger’s smartphone determines when a person boards and gets off a bus.

Passengers need to install a Tagless Pay application on their Android smartphone to use the service and register a pre- or post-paid transit card for automatic payment.

iPhone users are required to purchase a Cashbee card sticker from Naver Shopping and put it on the back of their phone before installing the app. The price of the sticker card is 12,000 won ($9.89).

Transfer discounts are also available when transferring to a bus or subway that doesn’t provide the service, if users turn their smartphone screen on and place it on the sensor.

People who are not able or unwilling to install the app, including the elderly, can use cash, transportation cards, or credit cards as usual.

Since January, the provincial office has been running a pilot program for the service in select areas including Gimpo, Uijeongbu and Pocheon.