PSV sector cashless bus pilot in three weeks

A digital payment pilot for public service vehicles will start in the next two to three weeks, with transport operators hoping it will eliminate paper tickets, reduce fare fraud and modernise the island’s transit network. ​The Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) confirmed that final preparations are underway to equip eight public service vehicles with automated fare technology. The trial will test how passengers use the technology across a mix of high-volume commercial corridors and suburban routes, helping prepare for a future without cash fares.

​Speaking with Barbados TODAY on the upcoming transition, AOPT Chairman Roy Raphael announced that the election of operators to take part is nearing completion ahead of staff training and equipment fitting.

“We never had a cashless system before, so we’re going to be introduced as a pilot project,” Raphael said. “Within the next two to three weeks because it’s already designed and everything…. It’s just that we’re just waiting to identify the buses since we have partnerships with these guys.” About eight vehicles will be fitted with the new hardware for the first trial on routes like River Road, Forde’s Road, Silver Hill, St Peter, Castle and Bathsheba. The trial will collect data from both busy city routes and longer rural trips where commuters face extended wait times. ​To overcome previous hurdles regarding drivers using mobile devices while driving, developers have adapted the system to use standalone, onboard validation units.