Photo: Without cash on the bus/EVAG, Steve Bauerschmidt
After a successful test phase, EVAG is permanently using a cashless cash register system in buses
The Erfurt transport company has successfully completed the test phase for cash and contactless payment on its buses. From now on, the public transport provider is permanently using the first ten buses in regular service, which no longer accept cash.
“In the last few weeks we have put the new cash register system for our buses through its paces. The tests were positive, the system works reliably and works quickly,” says EVAG sales manager Anja Kümmell. EVAG plans to have cashless cash registers on all buses by next spring.
On the “cashless buses” passengers can pay with all common debit and credit cards – including contactless, which works particularly quickly. Appropriately configured smartphones or smartwatches are also supported. The buses with the new system will be used primarily on Stadtbahn line 9, but can also be found on other bus lines if necessary. They can be recognized from the outside by a sticker on the first door.
“Payment is very easy. Specify the destination to the bus driver, hold the card and you're done. A pin entry is not necessary. To do this, the card must be approved for contactless payment,” says Anja Kümmell and adds, “The advantages of cashless payment are obvious. It's fast, safe and convenient. This allows us to improve our operational processes because, for example, we no longer have to search for cash for customers and no longer have to handle cash for our drivers.”
The majority of EVAG customers already pay cashless Good to know: The majority of EVAG passengers already use cashless payment , three out of four tickets are paid digitally. In 2023, the rate of cashless payments in total sales was 77%, and in 2019 it was 39% - and the trend continues to rise.
The Erfurt transport company continues to offer the option of purchasing tickets using cash. This is possible throughout the city at over 20 EVAG agencies or at 55 bus stop machines. The EVAG mobility center on Anger also accepts coins and banknotes.
More about buying tickets from EVAG: www.evag-erfurt.de/tickets
Source: Stadtwerke Erfurt