Transit Officials Tout Digital Bus Pass
Ventura County Transportation Commission officials hosted a demonstration Thursday of a pilot project that features a digital bus pass.
“Ours is a first-in-the-nation project that is a prototype for other systems across the globe,” Ginger Gherardi, the commission’s executive director, said in a news release.
“Countywide, our buses are wired to collect data on how many passengers board and exit, when and at which locations,” she said. “This data can lead us to better scheduling and route planning.”
The so-called Smart Passports were introduced early this year, and consultants have been fine-tuning the system for the past several months.
The plastic cards can be used as monthly bus passes or as debit cards that subtract the exact fare from a pre-purchased amount using the new technology.
“Passengers simply place the card on the bus’ radio-frequency reader and the correct fare is deducted,” Gherardi said. “The reader also displays the amount of credit remaining on the card.”
The $1-million project was paid for by the U.S. and California transportation departments.
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