Journeytech, a Filipino tech company, said it is seeing a dramatic deployment of its TripKo reloadable payment cards by various bus operators around the country. So far, the tech firm said TripKo is now the most widely-accepted transport card in the country with more than 20,000 users.
One of the companies using the payment system is HM Transport, which was allowed to operate during the lockdown because of its ability to accommodate cashless payments. Since Aug 2019, TripKo has been used by HM Transport in two of its routes: Starmall Alabang-BGC and Pacita-BGC. This month, it commenced cashless payment in its Alabang Town Center-BGC P2P, with more routes being arranged.
Last year, EcoDyip with its DyipKo modern jeepneys introduced the TripKo payment option in its PITX-Lawton route. In February 2020, it was the turn of the Bahaghari Kapit Bisig Transport Cooperative in Mindoro. Other adopters include JAM Liner, Cher Transport, AB Liner, Basicano Transport, and Ilagan Public Utility Transport Cooperative.
Journeytech said TripKo helps commuters avoid the threat of Covid-19 by minimizing three main contact points when doing their transit transactions.
The first contact point is the issuance of manual tickets. From production to dispatch until it is issued by conductors to passengers, these tickets passes through different channels and are even subjected to physical check by inspectors.
This process can be streamlined by using TicketKo, an automated ticketing system used in conjunction with TripKo. This mobile point-of-sale uses thermal paper in a compartment and sealed before use. Once a thermal ticket is printed, the passenger can peel it off personally so that no interaction with the conductor or driver happens. The TicketKo device can also be disinfected unlike paper tickets.
Second contact point is the exchange of money for payment of fare. TripKo can avoid this by allowing the exchange of money to be confined at the loading station. By using TripKo, the passenger just taps the cash card to TicketKo without any contact with the conductor or driver.
Lastly, contact tracing is uncomplicated as each tap of the passenger of the card serves as his or her travel record. This complies with the government’s “new normal” requirement to keep a trip manifest or logbook of passengers for contact tracing amid the pandemic.
