NIBS buses launch Passenger QR on TransMach ticket machines

Following the launch of its own mobile ticketing QR schema in April, today Passenger announces its second successful rollout with smart ticketing specialist, TransMach, for local bus operator NIBS buses.

The new QR schema has made it possible for Passenger’s popular mobile app technology to interact securely with contactless ticket machines and validators, supplied by TransMach. 

Scanning a QR code on mobile app tickets makes it easy for the bus driver to know whether a scanned ticket is valid. As such it is an important part of mobile ticketing apps, with the QR schema providing the necessary instructions for how ETM providers should validate app tickets.

Martin Massey, Commercial Manager at NIBS buses comments, “Adding QR scanning to our buses will reduce the need for our drivers to check mobile tickets being shown to them on the myTrip app, so we’re delighted to roll this out. Passenger and TransMach developed this and we’ve simply been able to request they turn it on for us at no extra charge.” 

TransMach, a UK ticketing technology provider, has collaborated on the development with Passenger and implemented the schema within its TM920 handheld and TM500 on-bus ETMs. NIBS use TM500 ETMs across their bus operations. 

Dan Claydon, Product Manager at Passenger adds, “It’s fantastic to see this initiative go from strength to strength. Developing technology to solve a problem and then quickly scaling it to other customers who have the same challenge is what we specialise in at Passenger. The capability was made available as a turn-key solution last month and already NIBS have adopted it. That’s a fantastic result.”

Minesh Vandra, Director at TransMach comments, “By working closely with Passenger over the last six months, we’ve been able to offer this new mobile ticket scanning capability to NIBS. I’m delighted that we’re able to offer additional value to our customers in this way.”

With mobile app-based tickets being used increasingly by operators to drive revenue growth through B2B channels, such as through ticketing arrangements with colleges and universities, QR codes have rocketed in popularity. Previously this market was dominated by smartcard-based tickets. QR-enabled mobile apps can be distributed instantly, validation is secure and passengers need only to carry their mobile device with them.