The public transport digital revolution kicks off in Campania

Passengers in Campania will now be able to pay for public transport using contactless cards without the need for a ticket.

The project has been made possible through the UnicoCampania Consortium in collaboration with Mastercard, in an effort to encourage a continued digital evolution in the region.

Naples, 15th of November 2021 – Today, tap&go^® launched in Naples, an innovative payment system that lets passengers pay for local public transport using their contactless card – spelling the beginning of the end for paper tickets.

Leading payment service provider Mastercard collaborated with the UnicoCampania Consortium and local transport providers to kick-start a trial phase of the initiative.

Throughout the trial, tap&go^® will be available on EAV metro lines in stations along the Naples – Sorrento and Aversa – Piscinola routes, and on ANM Metro Line 1 and the Central and Chiaia Funicular lines. The service will be extended to all EAV train lines and buses run by UnicoCampania companies within the next 18 months.

The system accepts all card types, including digital cards saved on NFC-enabled devices such as smartphones and smartwatches – at no additional charge to consumers.

tap&go^® ensures consumers always have a ticket in their pocket. They’ll also get the best value fares, calculated on individual journeys that tracks where users tap in and out. The new system allows for all ticket types, from single tickets to integrated tickets and day tickets, and enables consumers to check their recent payments and upcoming tickets online

The new service is part of a complete overhaul of the transport system in Campania in an effort to continue the digital evolution that has been transforming our cities into smart hubs. There is a growing demand from increasingly connected consumers to use digital transactions in all areas of their day-to-day life and tap&go delivers this to commuters across the Naples region.

This Campania-based project is one of a kind in Italy, with its region-wide reach and the high number of organisations involved. tap&go^® is the first system to offer integrated ticketing across multiple public transport organisations.

This EMV innovation is part of a wider digital transformation within the UnicoCampania Consortium which, in cooperation with Regione Campania and associated local public transport companies, is aiming to improve the quality of the services it provides to citizens by making it easier to pay for tickets, whilst representing a significant growth lever for the region.

The goal is to develop a complete mobility-as-a-service system that will connect other regional and urban areas and provide support to the Italian government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

“The Consortium has installed, and is still currently installing, new equipment that allows users to simply tap their contactless card to open the turnstile,” explains Gaetano Ratto, President of the UnicoCampania Consortium. “The entry and exit barriers at every station will be equipped with a card reader. Using the so-called “tap in” and “tap out” method, the system will calculate the best fare for the consumer, based on their individual journey. This is why it is crucial – and we ask travellers to really pay attention to this – that the same card is used to tap in at the origin station and to tap out at the destination station, so that the fare is calculated correctly. It is clear to everyone that this new system will have enormous benefits for consumers in terms of gaining easy, secure and quick access to transport services.”

“Following successful results in other major cities, we are eager to roll out tap&go in Campania too, and to launch a new way to access transport across the region. Collaborations between public and private bodies, such as the one we are presenting today with the UnicoCampania Consortium, are fundamental not only in transforming our cities into smart cities, but also in making them more efficient, inclusive and attractive for visitors and citizens alike. As a major technology player, we want to enable change, providing the means and structure necessary to promote digitalisation and improve daily life,” declares Michele Centemero, Country Manager at Mastercard Italy.

Drawing on its extensive technological expertise, Mastercard was able to develop a suitable EMV Transit framework and sales channel, in line with international standards. For the next 18 months, together with the UnicoCampania Consortium, Mastercard will play a leading role in the product launch campaign, which will involve the entire metro network and other omnichannel media from the public transport sector across Campania. Already trusted by several major cities worldwide to facilitate contactless payments across urban transport networks, Mastercard is demonstrating its commitment to creating increasingly innovative technologies that offer consumers solutions that simplify their daily lives.

PostePay and SSC Napoli are also joining forces with Mastercard, helping to communicate the new system to consumers and make them aware of the advantages of using contactless payments on public transport across the region. SSC Napoli will be promoting tap&go across its digital and communication channels, featuring its sporting stars as the face of special communication initiatives.

“At PostePay we are proud to be part of this project, which we believe to be entirely in line with Poste Italiane’s ambitions to support the digital evolution of our citizens’ lives, which includes using innovative payment methods as an important part of a wider ecosystem of products and services. Local transport is an example of what we have been doing for some years now,” explains Marco Siracusano, CEO of Postepay Spa. “Thanks to its network of post offices and almost 3 million Postepay card holders in Campania, the Poste Italiane Group is in a unique position to be able to reach everyone in Campania, including those in smaller towns, and to contribute to the overall success of the regional initiative.” 

“For us at Calcio Napoli, this partnership with Mastercard is particularly significant, as ever since the very beginning, when I took over the club, saving it from bankruptcy and building it back up from nothing, I have always made innovation and technology my mantra. Congratulations to Mastercard and to the local institutions involved for the courage they have shown in leading this revolution. Great ideas quite often remain just ideas unless there is someone brave enough to realise them, sometimes at their own risk. I am sure that Naples and Campania are ready for a real cultural and entrepreneurial renaissance,” announces Aurelio De Laurentiis, President of SSC Napoli.

Other technical partners include SIA as terminal and contactless system operator, and Intesa Sanpaolo, owner of the tap&go platform.

For more information visit www.unicocampania.it

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