CiCoBW: enabling regional integrated ticketing across all modes

Together with its partners, FAIRTIQ is proud to be nominated for the Transport Ticketing Global Award in the new category ‘Regional Integrated Ticketing’. The nomination recognises the CiCoBW initiative in Baden-Württemberg in Germany, a statewide Check-In/Check-Out framework, and the partnership of Karlsruhe Transport Association (KVV) as licence giver and FAIRTIQ as licence holder of CiCoBW.

The ambition behind CiCoBW is simple but powerful. Make regional travel easier by removing barriers between transport networks, modes and operators.

When regions share mobility but not ticketing

Passengers rarely think in tariff borders. They think in journeys.

Yet many regions still operate with fragmented fare systems, different ticket products and separate transport apps. For passengers, this can mean uncertainty, additional costs and unnecessary complexity. For transport authorities and operators, it can make regional integration difficult to implement.

As expectations for digital and seamless travel continue to grow, the need for integrated ticketing across entire regions has become increasingly clear.

CiCoBW brings regions together

CiCoBW addresses this challenge through a mobile pay-as-you-go approach. Passengers start and end their journey with one swipe in the app. There is no need to select tariffs or buy tickets in advance. The system calculates the correct fare automatically in the background.

What makes CiCoBW particularly significant is its scale. The initiative connects all transport associations across Baden-Württemberg and covers all public transport modes. Around 14 million people live within the region served by the system.

KVV played a key role as licence giver to FAIRTIQ, enabling the FAIRTIQ app solution to become available across the whole state.

“A consistent, statewide solution reduces complexity in the background while making access easier for our passengers.”
- Prof. Dr. Alexander Pischon, CEO of Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund (KVV)

A model for regional integration

CiCoBW demonstrates that large-scale regional integration is achievable without replacing existing structures. Instead, it connects operators and regions through a shared digital approach.

For passengers, the result is a simple and consistent experience across networks and modes. For transport authorities, it offers a scalable framework for cooperation across regions.

The TTG nomination recognises the joint effort behind this initiative. Together, KVV, regional partners and FAIRTIQ demonstrate how regional integration can move from ambition to operational reality.

Because mobility does not stop at regional borders. And ticketing should not either.