Cashless public buses to ply Subic Freeport roads

Public utility buses that use an automated fare collection system like this one will soon ferry passengers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to minimize the commuters’ exposure to the coronavirus disease. (Photo courtesy of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)

SAN ANTONIO, ZAMBALES –– The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has approved a cashless public transportation system in the Subic Bay Freeport.

SBMA Chair and Administrator Wilma Eisma on Tuesday said the agency has tapped Autokid Truck Solutions to create a line of public utility buses that use an automated fare collection system and comply with social-distancing rules.

“This is an innovative concept that fulfills a felt need in this time of the pandemic, so we’re going for it,” Eisma said in a statement.

She said the system could minimize exposure to the virus and would create a better environment for workers, residents, and visitors.

The company said they were considering three bus routes in Subic’s Central Business District, with the proposed fare to be between P25 to P35, depending on the route.

Autokid Subic Trading Corporation CEO Kevin McHale Yao said the project would provide an efficient, environment-friendly, and safe and comfortable transportation for the public.

“This preference reduces traffic, air, and noise pollution, and accident rate in cities,” said CEO Kevin McHale, chief executive officer of Autokid Subic Trading Corp.

The system also features the use of loadable payment cards that would preclude the need for passengers to carry cash for their bus fare.

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