Turin/Berne, 04.06.2024 - FAIRTIQ, leader in mobile ticketing, is pleased to announce its first collaboration in Italy with Arenaways Longitude Holding. Arenaways has selected the Swiss company as its privileged partner to introduce an advanced pay-as-you-go mobile ticketing solution (MPAYG) for its news lines between Cuneo and Savigliano and between Ceva and Ormea, scheduled to open on January 1, 2025. This partnership is not only groundbreaking for FAIRTIQ, which makes its debut in Italy, but also for the entire country, which will be introduced to MPAYG technology for the first time. Piedmont travellers will thus gain access to the easiest method for purchasing public transport tickets in the country.
FAIRTIQ was chosen for its ability to launch a user-friendly solution without the need to install hardware. The company has demonstrated the effectiveness of its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, widely tested on the market and renowned for its reliability and user-friendly interface. Thanks to the FAIRTIQ application, passengers will be able to travel with a simple swipe on their smartphone.
Matteo Arena, CEO Arenaways Longitude Holding stated: “Leading the way in Italy in simplifying ticket purchasing procedures is consistent with our mission to redefine the train travel experience with new criteria of innovation and quality applied to local services. FAIRTIQ's innovative mobile pay-as-you-go solution completely fulfils our "Rail different" philosophy, which is based on full accessibility for all, comfort and a traveller-centric approach. The train is by far the most democratic transport mode and we firmly believe that it will play a key role in the mobility of the future”.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Italian public transport users to our FAIRTIQ community. Italy and Switzerland not only share a border but also a rich common history. It is an honour for us to contribute to the success of the new railway lines in Piedmont," says Gian-Mattia Schucan, founder and co-CEO of FAIRTIQ. His team of 130 people is committed to constantly implementing further innovations to ensure a better public transport experience for users.
The FAIRTIQ app will allow passengers to travel between Cuneo and Savigliano and between Ceva and Ormea without having to worry about which ticket to purchase, even as a family or group of friends. With the FAIRTIQ solution, accessibility and convenience are destined to redefine the public transport experience. FAIRTIQ is the first MPAYG ticketing solution to arrive in Italy, a country famous for its breathtaking railways.
Travelling with FAIRTIQ
The FAIRTIQ application provides the simplest way to travel by public transport. Passengers open the app, and the departure station is automatically recognized. Before boarding a bus or train, they simply start the journey with a single swipe, thus obtaining a valid ticket without having to specify the destination. In case of inspection, it is possible to show the QR code generated by the app. During connection changes, the app automatically recognizes the change and continues to monitor the journey. Once arrived at the destination, passengers simply swipe to end the journey. If they forget, the app sends a notification or automatically ends the journey. The FAIRTIQ app detects passengers' routes based on location data and calculates the correct fare. The total price is optimised at the end of each daily journey, ensuring that passengers pay the best fare for all journeys made in a day.
With FAIRTIQ, passengers do not have to plan their journey in advance or worry about ticket combinations. They simply swipe, board, and enjoy the journey.
About Arenaways - Longitude Holding Ltd
Founded in Turin in 2021, Arenaways - Longitude Holding Ltd is a private Italian railway enterprise owned by: GCF – Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie SpA, a leader in railway infrastructure, electrification and signalling, active for over 60 years through six offices in Italy and eight international branches; Caronte & Tourist SpA, private navigation company founded in 2003 from the merger of two historic shipping companies active throughout the South of Italy. ; and Longitude Partecipazioni, family company of the CEO Matteo Arena.
Arenaways seeks to transform train travel through a range of services and a focus on travel enjoyment, believing that innovation and quality should also extend to local lines. The new Arenaways services will start in January 2025 with two routes in the province of Cuneo, closed to passenger traffic since 2012. In the future, the company will seek to operate new secondary services connecting to InterCity lines.
About FAIRTIQ
FAIRTIQ is an innovative Swiss company committed to simplifying the travel experience with public transportation to the maximum extent possible. Its application and digital ticketing technology, developed and managed by FAIRTIQ and accredited according to rigorous quality standards, is already available for use throughout the public transportation system in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as in various regions of Germany, Austria, and France. Recently, FAIRTIQ has also been selected to manage ticket issuance at the national level in Denmark.
Over 130 employees are engaged in managing and continuously developing the product. FAIRTIQ was founded in 2016 by Gian-Mattia Schucan and is a limited liability company based in Bern.
With over 160 million total journeys, FAIRTIQ confirms itself as the most widespread mobile pay-as-you-go solution in the world, available for iPhone and Android. Among FAIRTIQ's partners are public transportation companies and associations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and France. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) integrate FAIRTIQ technology into their app under the name EasyRide, and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) also use FAIRTIQ technology within their app.