Passengers on Warsaw trams will soon be able to buy tickets quicker and more conveniently than before. Warsaw Trams Ltd – the operator of the tram system in the capital of Poland – has started the installation of new vending machines leased from the Mint of Poland. The first 9 machines have been installed so far; another several dozen out of 583 in total will be put into operation in public transport vehicles only this month. The rollout is to be completed in H2 2019. The total contract value, together with the servicing and maintenance services to be provided in the next several years, is PLN 21 million

Innovative ticket vending machines offer a huge convenience to passengers wanting to buy a ticket upon boarding the tram. Looking for the right change to pay for the ticket can be very stressful, especially when faced with a ticket inspector. As numerous studies show, non-cash transactions are becoming more and more popular also among public transport users. The newly-installed machines in Warsaw trams offer the options of payment by bank card or by smartphone using HCE/NFC technology, both of which greatly facilitate and speed up the purchasing process. After the initial 9 machines already in operation, other will soon follow: several dozen more will be installed by the end of March, the remaining ones – no later than in the second half of this year.

The contract for the lease of at least 583 modern ticket vending machines was signed between Warsaw Trams Ltd and the Mint of Poland in November 2018. The number of leased machines may be revised up by another 178 to be installed in newly-purchased trams.