New Era for Public Transport: EasyGo in MTR Stations Accelerates the Evolution of HK as a Smart City

The emergence of contactless payment methods has brought new meaning to the transportation sector in smart cities like Hong Kong. Conventionally, it is fairly common for passengers to pay in cash or by a rechargeable stored value smart card to take a bus, ferry, tram or MTR. Nevertheless, as there is an emerging trend in using online and mobile payment platforms like AlipayHK in local retailers, convenient stores, restaurants and other facilities, a great deal of people would like to extend this easy and convenient payment method to different modes public transport in Hong Kong, covering buses, the MTR and more.

EasyGo, which is a QR code payment solution developed by AlipayHK for Hong Kong public transport, enables transit fare payment processes to be completed within as fast as 0.3 seconds. Furthermore, EasyGo is the first of its kind to adopt both dual offline solution (both merchant and customer side) and a Travel-then-Pay scheme. Hence, passengers can pay with their electronic wallets in their mobile phones even when the internet network is sometimes weak or unstable, or when the balance is insufficient.

With EasyGo, it is anticipated that QR code payment solutions will be introduced more widely into Hong Kong public transportation, so that there will be a greater variety of fast and convenient payment options for the mass public, fulfilling people’s modern lifestyle in the smart city. Local transportation is a crucial part of people’s daily lives; meanwhile, efficiency is a deep-rooted core value among Hong Kong people. Therefore, it is definitely a wonderful news to get more traffic scenes supported by online and mobile payment platforms such as EasyGo by AlipayHK.

As a matter of fact, the MTR system has already allowed commuters to pay by scanning QR codes. It is believed that the usage of small coins and banknotes will be fading away, and handing over cash will be quite nostalgic. On the other hand, taking public transport with QR code payment solutions will be full of fun and surprises. Something as simple as paying fares can point out significant differences in our daily lives, since using online and mobile payment platforms does not only speed up the transit payment process, but it also enables passengers to interact with the public transit company during their journeys, enhancing their travel experience. With EasyGo, the travel experience of the passengers can be taken a step forward. For instance, selected passengers may enjoy complimentary rides on special occasions upon meeting specific requirements, or they may settle the transit fare payments wherever and whenever they prefer. By simplifying the transit payment process and making it easier for passengers to interact with the public transit companies, service providers like bus companies and the MTR, and their strategic partners can also benefit by increasing conversions and turning passengers into loyal brand advocates, introducing a win-win situation for all parties. Being efficient and convenient, EasyGo is deemed to bring pleasant and innovative travel experience to passengers in this smart city, and will certainly become one of the most prominent future trends in the public transportation sector in Hong Kong.