MANATEE COUNTY, FL (March 30, 2018) – Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) buses will begin offering mobile ticketing as a new fare payment option for passengers beginning Monday.
Mobile ticketing provides a simple, cost effective approach to buying bus passes using a mobile device such as a smartphone. The one year pilot program makes available to MCAT passengers the
Token Transit software application for the purchase of single ride fares, as well as daily, weekly and monthly bus passes.
With
Token Transit no onboard equipment is necessary and Manatee County Government incurs no equipment or maintenance costs. The new fare option requires only visual validation by the Transit Operator, which expedites the boarding process. At the same time, passengers benefit from a new fare payment option which requires no cash on hand or ticket that might be lost or misplaced; and without a fare transaction required either onboard the bus, or in advance at a Transit Station.
“The Public Works/Transit Division team continually focus on improvements for service delivery operations including new and innovative services, enhancing bus stop infrastructure including over 400 bus stop upgrades to date, and a series of technology improvements that flow from the 2014 Transit Technology Business Plan," said William Steele, Manatee County's Transit Division Manager. "The mobile ticketing pilot program is a continuation of these ongoing team efforts, and more transit technology service enhancements are on the horizon. Special thanks to the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, County Administration, and the Public Works Department leadership for their ongoing support for these endeavors.”
Instructions for downloading the
Token Transit “app” and purchasing MCAT single ride fares and bus passes are available onboard MCAT buses, at Transit Stations and via the
MCAT website. Once purchased, each mobile ticket provides a countdown to expiration, and the mobile device screen displays a unique picture and color that change daily, and includes the current time. The MCAT Transit Operators are aware of these unique “pictures and color of the day” for the screen shot, and this is key to visual validation.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at
www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter,
@ManateeGov.