Saskatoon Transit awards contract to Masabi to deliver next generation mobile and account-based ticketing solution

Saskatoon and New York — Saskatoon Transit announced today that, following a competitive bidding process, it has chosen Masabi, the global leader in mobile ticketing to deliver its next generation fare payment system. Masabi provides Fare Payments-as-a-Service (FPaaS) to public transit. Saskatoon Transit plans to launch the new system in 2021 following a comprehensive fare review.  

“In today’s world, riders are keen to ensure that unnecessary interactions with cash, machines and infrastructure is kept to a minimum, and this is just one of the huge advantages of Masabi’s Justride platform,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “As we bring our city’s transit network into the 21st century, we are excited to be deploying a world-leading mobile and account-based ticketing system that will best serve our customers and allow us to grow and improve for years to come.”  

The ground-breaking new mobile ticketing and account-based ticketing solution will transform the passenger experience. Riders will control a single mobility account and ride across the city safely and seamlessly by tapping their mobile phones or smartcard to travel. Riders will be able to pre-purchase tickets and passes from their phones or add money to a new stored value account system, while the Justride platform automatically calculates and deducts the correct fare from riders’ accounts, applying best-fare policies where appropriate. 

“Now more than ever, the focus of transit agencies is on providing their customers with a simple, contactless and above all, safe system by which to travel, and by deploying Masabi’s fare payments as a service platform Justride, Saskatoon is doing just that,” says Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “In years gone by, this level of functionality and convenience took years to develop and deploy and would have been out of reach to all but the largest agencies. Today we can deliver market-leading technology to forward-thinking cities by providing FPaaS in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost. We do this using a platform which is constantly updating with new features and functionality, helping agencies keep up with the pace of technology change. We are delighted to have been selected to provide this system and look forward to working with Saskatoon Transit in the years to come.”  

Using Masabi’s Justride Software Development Kit (SDK), mobile ticketing will also be integrated into the Transit app, enabling a Mobility-as-a-Service experience. This will allow riders to plan their journeys, get real-time updates, pay their fares, and connect Saskatoon Transit with complementary transportation options, all in a single app. Masabi will also be working with partner Trapeze who provide Intelligent Transportation Systems (CAD/AVL), Mobility Planning and Scheduling, Workforce Management, Business Intelligence, and Traveler Experience solutions for Saskatoon Transit.   

“Integrating Saskatoon Transit’s new fare payments solution into the Transit app is a key step in giving riders a top-notch experience when they ride public transit,” said David Block-Schachter, Transit’s Chief Business Officer. “With this new, flexible fare payment system seamlessly connected to real-time information and trip planning in the Transit app, Saskatoon Transit is pulling to the head of the pack among transit operators in North America.”