SAMTD Partners with Cubic to Implement Account-Based Ticketing and Fare-Capping, Salem, OR, 2022

The Salem Area Mass Transit District (SAMTD) finalized a contract with Cubic Transportation Systems to use Umo, its transit fare collection system. Through the Umo app, users will be able to pay for rides, purchase passes, and manage their accounts. Users without smartphones or bank cards can purchase paper tokens with QR codes which they can scan upon boarding a bus. These passes are also reloadable at participating retailers. 

The Umo platform also allows SAMTD to enable fare capping, which will reward riders for using SAMTD service and prevent riders from being overcharged. Fare capping allows for riders to use the system as normal, but does not charge them for additional trips once they reach the cost of a pass. These policies make systems more equitable, as they avoid penalizing customers who cannot afford to pay for an entire pass upfront. Overall, payment systems like Umo can improve the rider experience and make transit systems more efficient, equitable, and user-friendly. 

Last updated September 21, 2022