Metro ticket machines in Oslo to be removed and replaced by card readers in 2021

OsloRuter.Tickets.Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

Ruter’s 170 ticket machines along the metro network and at some junctions are used very little. More than 97% of Ruter’s customers don’t buy their tickets via ticket machines.

The ticket machines will therefore be phased out, and will no longer be in use from June 2021.

At the same time, new card readers for travel cards will be available to customers on the metro.

“Over time, Ruter’s customers have changed their behavior and are using other sales channels to buy tickets to an ever-increasing degree.

“The ticket machines are perceived as not very user-friendly and their use is declining.

“The system is becoming obsolete, and the use of vending machines is so low that it is not sustainable to replace them with new ones.

“The vending machines will therefore be phased out after May 31 next year,” Ellen Marie Rogde, marketing director at Ruter, said.

Declining use of ticket machines

Ruter currently sells tickets at 170 ticket machines along the metro network, as well as at some junctions.

Only 2.8% of Ruter’s total turnover takes place via these machines. On average, only 21 tickets are sold per vending machine daily, and most are sold at vending machines connected to metro stations in central Oslo.

Customer surveys show that the machines are primarily used for random purchases of single tickets by adults.

More than 97% of Ruter’s customers prefer to buy a ticket in other ways.

Alternatives to ticket machines

After May 31, 2021, alternatives to ticket vending machines will primarily include the app, Ruter’s customer center, and service points in Oslo, as well as kiosks and shops.

Ruter has a ticket sales agreement with 240 points of sale, 165 of these are in Oslo, many of these at or near a metro station, and 75 are in Viken.

“Traveling with a valid ticket should be easy. The vast majority of our customers use the app when they buy a ticket and very few use vending machines.

“We will therefore continue to focus on our most popular sales channels, which are first and foremost the app, kiosks, service points, and our customer center at Jernbanetorget,” Rogde noted.

Card readers for travel cards

Card readers for travel cards will be installed on board the subway, one at each door.

Customers will thus experience the same system across all of Ruter’s means of transport.

Already this autumn, work will begin on installing card readers for travel cards, and these will be put into operation in the spring of 2021.

To avoid having to take metro cars out of operation in connection with the installation job, the process will be carried out over a longer period.

Source: Ruter AS

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