Hicksville bus riders can save their quarters. Riders of Nassau Inter-County Express, or NICE bus, now have the option of using their smartphones to purchase fares. Upon launching the new GoMobile fare payment app, NICE becomes the first bus-only U.S. transit system to offer mobile ticketing. The app is currently available for Android, and is expected to be available for iPhones soon.
“Mobile ticketing is really taking off in the U.S. and NICE is excited to be at the forefront in bus transit. In the coming months, we look forward to rolling out additional technology initiatives that will help transform the experience of riding transit in Nassau County,” said Michael Setzer, NICE Chief Executive Officer. “Over the decades, fare collection for Nassau’s County’s buses has evolved, however, one area that has not is cash payments. With GoMobile, we’re taking a big step to improve that situation and we expect riders will be very happy with the change.”
About 4,500 riders get on and off the buses in Hicksville daily.
Customers can go to their app store, download the NICE GoMobile app and follow the instructions for setting up an account by providing their e-mail address and creating a password. Purchasing fares is also simple: customers open the app, choose their ticket selection and provide payment information (credit, debit or gift card). To use GoMobile, riders open the app, tap “use ticket” before boarding, and show their screen to the driver.
Fares will be available in single tickets or multiple tickets, up to 20 fares, and gomobile is capable of storing customer payment information. Riders must set up their account and purchase their fare before getting on the bus to use it. NICE is not eliminating any existing payment options, including cash.
GoMobile tickets can only be used on NICE buses but riders can use the same mobile ticket to transfer onto two additional NICE buses within a two hour and fifteen minute period. GoMobile is for travel on NICE buses only and does not accommodate transfers to the MTA system. Riders who need to transfer to other transit systems must continue using their current fare payment options.
Based on extensive customer surveys in late 2013, NICE learned that about 70 percent of all riders have smartphones.
Currently, NICE riders have limited payment options: they can either pay with correct change on the bus or use the MTA-issued MetroCard. However, there is only one location in Nassau County with full-service vending machines, and a limited number of resellers. NICE is working with Masabi Ltd., which offers advanced mobile ticketing and fare collection systems, to develop GoMobile.
The mobile ticketing system will expand toNICE’s paratranist system, Able-Ride, in a few months.
If customers need additional assistance, they can contact NICE by email at NICEticketing@veoliatransdev.com, or by phone at 516-336-6600.
