UrbanThings worked with Pilkington Bus to develop a replacement for their existing m-ticketing system
UrbanThings partnered with Lancashire-based, Pilkington Bus to provide flexible mobile-ticketing with zero on-board hardware required for their school services.
Pilkington Bus did not have ticket machines installed, and therefore UrbanThings’ ‘Hex Tag’ technology provided a practical low-cost solution, which could also provide Pilkington Bus with the rich passenger data they were seeking.
The Hex Tag solution allows passengers to purchase travel tickets through a branded mobile app, then scan a unique QR code when boarding the vehicle to validate their ticket. Unlike conventional m-ticketing systems, the QR code is placed on the vehicle and not within the mobile phone app.
Parents receive an instant push notification to their smartphone to indicate that their child has safely boarded the bus.
The Pilkington Bus app launched to the public in June 2019, after a delivery of only 4 weeks.
The UrbanThings solution
– A branded app for timetable information and account based mobile ticketing
– Check-in via Hex Tags using passenger smartphones as ticket validators
– Secure symbol display for visual validation
– Ticket Gifting
– Parental notification for school services
– Back office with comprehensive passenger usage statistics for operational intelligence
– Easy-to-use web portal to manage riders and tickets
“Since the introduction of the app, we’ve seen an increase in passengers using mobile ticketing, as well as a decrease in fraud due to the various security measures the app has in place. We’re looking forward to seeing the new innovations that will be added to the app as the product develops.”
— John Threlfall, Specialist Transport Advisor, Pilkington Bus
