New subway electronic ticketing system to be introduced on May 17

Paul Pennay | Apr 28, 2008 5:30 pm | Add a comment | 1947 reads

The People's Daily, picking up on a report in today's Beijing News, report that new electronic tickets, set to replace the current paper ones, will be introduced across Beijing's subway system on May 17. According to the original report, the final large-scale test of the new system was held on Sunday and paper ticketing will come to a halt in mid-May. Currently, most regular commuters use an IC card to pay for the 2 kuai subway trip, and out of towners or irregular subway users pay for a paper ticket that is checked by an attendant as they head down to the platform. From May 17, instead of queuing to buy paper tickets, commuters will line up to purchase electronic tickets at either the regular ticketing windows or from ticket machines, they can then swipe these electronic tickets to access the platform of that station any time that day. The electronic ticket (we're guessing it'll be similar to the little magnetic strips they used to use on Line 13) will then be "eaten" by the machine when you leave the platform at your destination. The new system is supposed to make fare evasion, not that it ever appeared to be a serious problem, much more difficult. It's also reported that the introduction of the new one-way electronic pass will not in any way affect the use of the current IC card.

The introduction will mark the end of the use of paper subway tickets, which on the heels of monthly bus and subway passes and paper fen will enter into the history books. That said, it might be worth holding on to any unused paper tickets as they're likely to become something of a collectors item.

The same report also warns of huge passenger numbers crowding the subway system this coming Thursday. Authorities predict that a record pushing 3.7 million passenger trips are likely to take place on May 1.

Links and Sources
The Beijing News: 地铁纸票拟5月17日退役
People's Daily: Beijing Subway to bid farewell to paper tickets
China Business International: Goodbye, Yuepiao!
China Economic Net: China to stop circulation of 2nd-version RMB cent paper money
Wangjian Shuo's Blog: Beijing Impression (image)