New app removes need to buy public transport tickets in Switzerland

A new public transport app, BiBo, is to be tested in Switzerland. The new app automates ticket purchasing and removes the need for passengers to check in and out of journeys.

How Switzerland's new public transport app automatically captures your journey

Alliance Swisspass, the organisation that oversees public transport tickets in Switzerland, has revealed that it is testing a new technology that will automate ticket purchasing.

With a new system, users would no longer have to manually buy a ticket or check in and out when taking the train or bus. Instead, a new app called BiBo (“Be in, Be out”) will “automatically recognis[e] when you are on public transport and calculate the corresponding fare after your journey”, reports SRF.

The app connects with Bluetooth transmitters on public transport and recognises when you get on or off. Currently, users can manually check in or out of a journey using the Swiss Federal Railway's (SBB) Easyride system instead of buying a ticket. This can “repeatedly lead to unpleasant surprises” such as a fine if, for example, a passenger forgets to activate it or does so too late. 

3.000 passengers to test BiBo transport app in April

SBB digital business manager Parand Rohani confirmed that SBB trains are ready for the new app with the required Bluetooth technology. 3.000 passengers are set to test the transport app in a two-month trial starting at the end of April. 

The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) has confirmed that it “sees no fundamental problems” with Bibo and will work closely with the company to ensure compliance with data protection requirements.