Beijing: Chegongzhuang metro station is one of the busiest transportation hubs in Xicheng District, Beijing. Commuters line up in an orderly manner to go through the security check, get temperatures screened, swipe metro cards, and then enter through the turnstiles. Many commuters now also use their smartphones to enter by swiping the screen over the sensor on the turnstile.
“It’s much more convenient now. As long as the smartphone supports NFC (near field communication) technology, you can download the electronic transportation card and save it in your mobile wallet. There is no need to unlock it when you swipe your phone,” said Cui Yue, who lives in Fengtai District and has to transfer subway lines twice to reach Chegongzhuang, taking her an hour to complete.
Cui recalls previously using her bus pass, then the QR code to enter the metro. At the entrance gate, during rush hour passengers had to unlock their phones, open the Beijing Bus Card app, bring up the QR code, scan it at the QR code reader on the turnstile, and then enter only if the identification was a success. Sometimes, if the phone signal was weak, the QR code wouldn’t load for some time, thus causing agitation for a mass of commuters for the delay in getting to work.
Hi-tech Subway System: The new type of card swiping technology is called contactless screen swiping. NFC technology enables simple and safe two-way interaction between electronic devices, allowing consumers to perform contactless transactions. The JD Finance Transportation Card that Cui uses supports automatic recharging.
Whenever the balance is less than RMB 10, the card will be charged automatically via the self-determined option of password-free payment, allowing customers to ride the train before paying the ticket.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
