Implementation of e-payment system in public transport has started in the capital of Turkmenistan.
Three types of e-cards for payment (general, for schoolchildren, for pensioners) appeared at various points of sale of Ashgabat city. General e-cards operate as e-wallets, and cash is automatically withdrawn from the balance of an e-card when brought close to a validation device installed in all city buses.
It is enough to top up the balance of e-cards for schoolchildren and pensioners once a month. This enables using public transport within 30 days from the date of payment, and after this, one may increase the balance of the same e-card in Turkmen post offices, branches of the Senagat Bank, as well as at automated self-service terminals located in public places.
“The new system will make it possible to go completely cash-free, which will greatly simplify the payment procedure both for drivers and passengers,” the article said. (AzerNews/Business World Magazine)