A Romanian city, other than the capital Bucharest, has implemented online payments for public transport. The Alba Iulia municipality in central Romania allows commuters to buy bus tickets by card, via their mobile phones. It is possible through the application mobilPay Wallet, developed by Netopia mobilPay. This is a premiere in Romania, say the authorities.

The local authorities even give an incentive for using the alternative payment method: three free nominal rides at the first purchase.

The same system was also implemented in the nearby town of Turda, also in Alba county. Next on the list is Cluj – Napoca, also in Central Romania, whose authorities also want to use the system.

It’s not the first time the Alba Iulia authorities modernize their public transport system. They also installed ticket machines in bus stations, introduced travel cards, synced bus scheduled via GPS, and introduced one-hour validity for tickets.

To use the mobile payments system in Alba Iulia, commuters need to go online at get.mobilpay.ro on their mobile phones, use the Wallet app, and introduce their card details. The site is also available in English.

In capital city Bucharest, it is possible to pay for metro rides by some bank cards, but only at the special machines inside the metro stations. It is also possible to pay via text message for bus tickets. The Public Transport Company RATB allows commuters to re-charge their subscription online, but an online account, as well as a bus card with an active subscription on it are needed.

editor@romania-insider.com