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Open contactless payment system to be launched in New York
23 Jan 2012

New York residents will be able to pay for trips on the city's buses and subways with contactless-enabled bank cards, it has been revealed.

Joseph Lhota, chairman and chief executive of the city's transport agency Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), has announced plans to create an "open payment system", reports the Washington Square News.

In addition to contactless bank cards, passengers will be able to pay for their journey by simply swiping their smartphone or MTA-issued smart card against the provided readers at turnstiles. 

The new open system was initially proposed by Mr Lhota's predecessor Jay Walder, who oversaw a six-month pilot program in June 2010. However, the scheme stalled soon after due to funding issues.

The new scheme, which could be completed by 2015, would replace the current MetroCard transit card system.

It is estimated that the total cost of the project will be around $250 million (£161 million), with the funds set to come from MTA's own budget.