Saskatoon Transit awards contract to Masabi to deliver next generation mobile and account-based ticketing solution

Saskatoon Transit has selected Masabi to deliver a next generation fare payment system utilizing its Justride platform.  

The company will deliver a comprehensive and innovative account-based fare payment and validation solution to Saskatchewan’s largest city in 2021. 

The ground-breaking new mobile and account-based ticketing solution will transform the passenger experience by allowing Saskatoon Transit riders to control a single mobility account and ride across the city safely and seamlessly by tapping their mobile phones or smartcard to travel. Riders will be able to pre-purchase tickets and passes from their phones or add money to their new stored value accounts and simply tap their mobile or smartcard on the validator when boarding the bus. This will allow customers to ride across the Saskatoon Transit system without having to select their fare or buy a ticket in advance. Instead, Justride automatically calculates and deducts the correct fare from riders’ accounts, applying best-fare policies where appropriate. 

The new Saskatoon mobile app will include mobile ticketing and stored value wallets, which will also be integrated into the Transit app using Masabi’s Justride Software Development Kit (SDK), enabling a Mobility-as-a-Service experience. This will allow riders to plan their journeys, get real-time updates, pay their fares and connect Saskatoon Transit with complementary transportation options, all in a single app. Account-based Saskatoon Transit-branded smartcards will also be enabled, all tied together by seamless mobile and web-based account management. The new system will also allow users to add to their account using cash. 

As part of the deployment, Masabi will install fare validators across the entire Saskatoon Transit fleet, designed to read 2D barcode, printed or displayed on screen, smartcards and offer the agency an upgrade path to supporting contactless EMV bank cards. Masabi will also be working with partner Trapeze to provide Intelligent Transportation Systems (CAD/AVL), mobility planning and scheduling, workforce management, business intelligence and traveler experience solutions for Saskatoon Transit. 

“In today’s world, riders are keen to ensure that unnecessary interactions with cash, machines and infrastructure is kept to a minimum, and this is just one of the huge advantages of Masabi’s Justride platform,” said Jim McDonald, director of Saskatoon Transit. “As we bring our city’s transit network into the 21st century, we are excited to be deploying a world-leading mobile and Account-Based Ticketing system that will best serve our customers and allow us to grow and improve for years to come.” 

“Now more than ever, the focus of transit agencies is on providing their customers with a simple, contactless and above all, safe system by which to travel, and by deploying Masabi’s Fare Payments-as-a-Service platform, Justride, Saskatoon is doing just that,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “In years gone by, this level of functionality and convenience took years to develop and deploy and would have been out of reach to all but the largest agencies. Today, we can deliver market-leading technology to forward-thinking cities by providing Fare Payment-as-a-Service in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost. We do this using a platform which is constantly updating with new features and functionality, helping agencies keep up with the pace of technology change. We are delighted to have been selected to provide this system and look forward to working with Saskatoon Transit in the years to come.” 

“Integrating Saskatoon Transit’s new fare payments solution into the Transit app is a key step in giving riders a top-notch experience when they ride public transit,” said David Block-Schachter, Saskatoon Transit’s chief business officer. “With this new, flexible fare payment system seamlessly connected to real-time information and trip planning in the Transit app, Saskatoon Transit is pulling to the head of the pack among transit operators in North America.”