title: Cashless Payments for Public Transport
Creators: name: Abdoli, Sheida
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: public transport
subject: cashless payment
subject: equity and inclusion

description: Cash payments for public transport (PT) tickets have decreased as more passengers prefer convenient cashless payment options like smart cards, credit cards and mobile wallets. This thesis investigates several aspects of the transition towards cashless bus services. The focus was on South East Queensland bus services as this research was supported by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and its Translink Division. The Department hoped to gradually phase out cash payments from the Queensland fares system across Queensland. Unexpectedly, the shift to cashless payment methods accelerated greatly in Queensland buses for public health reasons. As a response to the Covid-19 crisis in early 2020, TransLink temporarily made all payments cashless on-board bus, train, ferry, and tram services in SEQ to ensure hygiene and prevent infection, though passengers could still use cash at ticket machines. The system has stayed cashless. This transition is yet to occur in many parts of regional Queensland and elsewhere around the world. Although the shift provides both benefits and disbenefits, the Department recognises the potential problems that may emerge when certain customers can no longer use cash on-board in bus services. Operators, for instance, benefit from reduced dwell times at stops, increased operating speeds for passengers and improved on-time performance, avoiding the costs of cash handling and some reduced infrastructure costs with ticket machines. However, having no cash payment option can leave some vulnerable passengers excluded from the PT system and urban life. So, what should be the future for cash payments on PT moving forwards? The research sought to: 1. Better conceptualise and understand the issues involved in removing cash payments from public bus services. 2. Explore the social characteristics of locations with especially high rates of cash payments. 3. Explore the bus delays due to on-board cash payments on key PT routes in Brisbane. The thesis used a mixed-methods approach, beginning with a systematic quantitative literature review. The review explores the exclusionary effects of cashless payments on vulnerable passengers and uses a novel approach to categorise and re-conceptualise the equity groups most vulnerable to exclusion due to cash removal. The experiences of two early-adopter cities (London and Amsterdam) show how to mitigate the effects of exclusion on key equity groups. The quantitative research involved analysis of 2019 SEQ Translink data for the region's pre-Covid-19 bus fleets, along with complex socio-spatial analysis, to determine the routes and stops where cash payments were highest and the features of those locations. Furthermore, the thesis highlights the substantial impact of on-board cash payments on bus delays. The methodology developed in the study, using fare transaction and geofence data, offers an innovative and cost-effective means of calculating bus delays due to on-board cash payments, with global applicability. For the Brisbane bus routes investigated, the average transaction time for go card payments is about 3.3 times shorter than for single cash payments. As public transport systems worldwide confront the challenges of transitioning to cashless payments, the research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, operators, and urban planners seeking to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with this evolving landscape. The findings offer a foundation for fostering equitable and efficient public transport systems in the cashless era. [...]