One of the first account-based ticketing systems in Europe
The transport company of the city of Ostrava is the third largest transport company in the Czech Republic. With a fleet of 300 buses, 200 trams and 70 trolleybuses, it transports around 90 million passengers a year.
The decision to introduce an account-based ticketing system
Ostrava has always been a pioneer in the introduction of innovations in passenger management. The first electronic payments via SMS were introduced as early as 2009. From 2011, it was possible to pay electronically with Mifare cards.
In 2016, Ostrava became the second European city after London to introduce payment with contactless bank cards without paper receipts. This was made possible by the implementation of an account-based ticketing system operated by the company KOdis. The system works with Mikroelektronika back office system and about 2,300 CVB 25 validators installed in trams, buses and trolleybuses.
The account-based ticketing system from the passenger's perspective
When boarding a public transport vehicle in Ostrava, the passenger holds their card up to the CVB validator. The system registers the payment card (or its equivalent) and records the details of the journey while the passenger performs the check-in/check-out. At the end of the day, the system calculates the total price of the journey based on all the journeys made. The system always applies the best fare to ensure that the passenger pays the most favourable price for the distance travelled. The fare is then debited from the account to which the card is assigned.
Exclusively electronic since 2020!
The passenger management system, which is based on proprietary Mifare DesFire cards and EMV bank cards, was operated by the transport company for around four years in parallel with the traditional ticket sales methods. Based on statistical data on the use of the various payment options, the sale of traditional paper tickets was discontinued in 2020. Today, passengers in Ostrava only pay for their journeys electronically.
Find out more about the CVB validators in Ostrava in our video!
