Bashkiria will launch first transport card in Russia on IOS (Apple) and Android platforms

In Ufa, the development of an "Alga" transport card was discussed at a "Transport Hour" session led by the Head of Bashkortostan. According to Ruslan Nurgaliev, director of the Bashkir Register of Social Cards JSC, the project's functionality is systematically expanding.

The virtual transport card "Alga", available as mobile applications for Android and IOS operating systems, is being tested in a pilot mode. This is the first and so far the only experience in the country to create a virtual transport card on the Apple (iOS) and Android platforms. One can purchase cards directly through the application and pay for travel using the contactless payment system in smartphones. In this case, funds will be debited from the bank card tied to the gadget. In addition, the application will allow topping up the balance of plastic transport cards.

"According to our estimates, already at the initial stage, the application will be used by about 50 thousand residents of the republic, who now pay for travel through bank cards. This will reduce the cost of one trip for them from 29 to 23 rubles", Ruslan Nurgaliev noted.

In general, the "Alga" transport card demonstrates steady growth. Since the beginning of its implementation in July 2019, republic residents have purchased more than 522 thousand cards. Taking into account the student's cards, the total number of their users exceeded 1 million people.

"It is safe to say that the project of the transport card "Alga" proved to become effective and a very convenient tool for our residents," Radiy Khabirov said. "In the future, the card should become a driver for the development of the new areas. Therefore, it is important to make the most of its opportunities to implement modern digital services."