According to NJ Transit officials, following a successful test on buses in Morris County, NJ TRANSIT is installing new onboard validators (OBVs) on the rest of its bus fleet.
Officials said in a statement, the fare modernization effort allows bus customers to scan their paper and mobile-app barcode tickets/passes without handing the ticket to the bus operator, reducing a frequent customer touchpoint.
As you board the bus, a validator near the operator will display an image depicting how to scan the barcode. Your ticket or pass must be presented face up so the barcode can be scanned, New Jersey Transit officials said.
Valid tickets or passes will display a green indicator with “Have A Nice Trip’’ featured. In addition to customer convenience, the new contactless fare collection technology is safer for operators and customers.
Officials say the fleet-wide installation process is underway, beginning on buses at Oradell Garage in Bergen County before proceeding to other garages over the coming months. Customers traveling on Bus Route Nos. 144, 155, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 177 and 364 will be the first to use the validators.
OBV installation will be prioritized at bus garages serving routes with the highest use of paper tickets as part of the agency’s response to COVID-19 and our commitment to reducing customer touchpoints to the greatest extent possible, officials said.
Future phases of fare modernization will include OBVs accepting fare payments with contactless credit cards, mobile payments and a future NJ TRANSIT fare card.