AMTRAN News
AMTRAN beta tests New Fare Collection System for Transit Industry
AMTRAN is partnering with Avail Technologies of State College to develop a “game-changing” new fare collection system which is expected to have a significant impact on the transit industry nationwide.
Customer Benefits
The new myFare system offers benefits to AMTRAN but more importantly it offers benefits to AMTRAN’s customers. The proximity smart card is simple to use. Just tap it on the reader. There’s no more stuffing bills into a farebox or digging for exact change. And the card is reloadable right on the bus, saving customers the hassle of having to renew their cards at a central location. With myFare, customers can feel secure if their smart card is lost or stolen because a simple call to the agency will cancel the card. (The new fare collection system will not trigger a fare increase.)
Benefits to AMTRAN
Transit providers will be able to reduce the cost of handling the cash box each day and increase the speed at which customers enter the bus. The cutting-edge technology provides AMTRAN with an even better understanding of their ridership for service planning and as a result, can make positive enhancements to the bus system based on actual customer usage.
Industry Game-Changer
General Manager Eric Wolf believes that Avail’s new myFare system will be a game-changer for the transit industry because it’s an affordable smart-card solution.
“We’ve heard a lot of promises over the years about utilizing smart card technology for transit,” says Wolf. “Avail’s myFare system delivers on that promise - without breaking the bank. Their tagline is ‘Enhance your rider’s experience,’ and that’s precisely what this technology will do.”
Partnership
Avail’s CEO, Dorsey Houtz, stated that AMTRAN was selected as the beta test site because of the exceptional decade-long relationship between the two organizations.
“AMTRAN is an innovative organization with an engaged and dedicated staff,” said Houtz. “We’ve developed an excellent connection with them that will serve us well in a major project beta test like myFare.”Technology Grant from Congressman Shuster
myFare is the final component of AMTRAN’s Smart Bus project funded by a Technology Grant through Congressman Bill Shuster. The initial component of the Smart Bus project, myStop, which provides real time bus departure information to customers, earned AMTRAN a Technology Award from the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.
Technology that is easy to use
If you can scan QR (Quick Response) Codes with your smartphone, soon you'll be able to get real time departure information for AMTRAN buses at any bus stop.
The myStop QR codes are the latest innovation from Avail Technologies of State College.
In AMTRAN’s continuing effort to utilize technology to improve customer service, there are now three ways to use myStop to find out when your bus will be at your stop in real time.
(1) You can find it here on AMTRAN’s website. Just click on the myStop icon above.
(2) You can dial 944-1200 on your phone and punch in your bus stop number.
(3) Soon you will be able to scan the QR code at each bus stop with your smartphone. (QR code readers are usually available as a free download at your App Store.)
Right now, the QR codes are being pilot tested on the Blue Loop with a systemwide roll-out planned for this summer.
Sandra started riding the Altoona buses with her grandmother when she was three years old, and the fare was only thirteen cents. Now, she is a grandmother, but still depends solely on the bus service for transportation.
Sandra has never driven a vehicle, and her husband of over forty years has been disabled since July of 1998 and can no longer drive. She relies on AMTRAN to get to her doctor appointments, pick up her prescriptions, and go to the grocery store. She also depends on public transportation to give back to her community by riding to donate blood and volunteering for charities.
Sandra spoke about the transition she and her husband have been forced to make through the years. “As we grow older, our world gets smaller, and our energy lags. Tasks that used to simple have become difficult”. An all-day bus pass makes it possible for Sandra to go to a few stores, take her purchases home, have lunch, and then take another bus out to finish her shopping. The bus service allows her to take the time she needs to rest and slow down, while still maintaining her personal independence throughout her day.
“Buses help to keep my world from becoming too small for me to bear. I would be lost without them. It is sad indeed to think about how small my world would become if the bus services were cut or taken away.”
Sandra Q.
