Vectalia, Alicante
HopOn Powers Spains’s First M-Ticketing App
Partnering with HopOn, Vectalia is the first Spanish public transportation operator to offer passengers an m-ticketing service. Currently in use on municipal bus lines in Alicante, the HopOn solution improves operational efficiency as it decreases boarding time. The platform being software-based and supporting any validation and pricing schemes, Vectalia can quickly and easily implement it in other cities where it operates.
The Client
Vectalia is a Spanish transportation agency that operates bus lines in a dozen of Spanish cities. The company belongs to the Grupo Vectalia that offers a wide range of transportation services both in France, Morocco and Spain. The group is committed to sustainability and the transformation of urban mobility services.
M-Ticketing Solution
Alicante is the heart of a metropolitan area with 766,000 residents, situated on the Costa Blanca, one of Spain’s busiest tourist destinations.
Vectalia is one of the two PTOs that operate on the municipal territory. Up until September 2017, smart cards and paper tickets sold at special kiosks, convenience stores and parking meters were the only available forms of transport tickets.
Purchase:
Passengers can purchase m-tickets through the Yüpi App, a branded version of the HopOn front-end client.
Payment is made through credit card.
To date, two ticket types are available:
– Single tickets: are valid for one trip on one line, without transfer. Multiple tickets can be bought with a single Yüpi transaction.
– Yüpi Friend: includes five single tickets that are sold at a reduced price, with one free transfer per ticket.
Purchasing this 5-pack requires registration with personal details and a photo.
Vectalia currently operates in a Check-in, Be-out model (CiBo). The buses are equipped with HopOn beacons transmitting ultra-sonic and BTL signals. Upon boarding, passengers activate their tickets with a simple click on their mobile phones. Alternatively, they can scan a QR code. As the system can simultaneously validate tickets from multiple users, passengers board smoothly, without queuing up. When passengers get off and their phones stop receiving the BLE signal, Be-out is registered.
Inspection and management:
Vectalia uses HopOn’s inspection App and back-end platform to manage and monitor the system.
Conclusion & Outlook
With the introduction of the first m-ticketing solution in Spain, Vectalia continues to position itself as an innovative player in the urban transportation market. It also managed to improve operational efficiency, as bus drivers aren’t involved in ticketing, and boarding time is shorter.
The HopOn m-ticketing solution was very easy to implement in Alicante, and the mobile App works perfectly. Boarding is now smoother and faster, which is positive both for our drivers and passengers. The fact that the HopOn solution is software-based, makes it fast and cost-effective for us to implement it in other cities.
– Francisco Ramón Mira, ITManager of Vectali