HID has released its State of Mass Transit Ticketing Hardware Report 2025, highlighting five key priorities for transit agencies worldwide. The findings, based on a survey of 102 mass transit providers, reveal a growing focus on digital transformation, passenger convenience, and flexible ticketing solutions.
As the mass transit industry undergoes a passenger-centric transformation, agencies must carefully select partners and hardware solutions that can evolve alongside industry demands. The push toward digital payments, data-driven decision-making, and adaptable ticketing technologies is reshaping public transportation, ensuring more efficient and seamless travel experiences for passengers worldwide, says the global leader in identity and biometric authentication solutions.
Key Challenges and Priorities for 2025
One of the standout findings from the report is that a lack of funding remains the biggest challenge for transit agencies. Despite this, agencies are prioritising investments in technology-driven fare collection and operational improvements. The five key areas identified in the report are:
- Reducing reliance on cash payments – Around 43% of agencies are looking to implement contactless ticketing systems, with 88% planning deployments within the next 12–24 months to streamline operations.
- Enhancing passenger experience – Nearly two-thirds of agencies rank user-friendly ticketing interfaces as the most critical feature in improving the overall passenger experience.
- Expanding contactless and mobile payment options – Open-loop EMV contactless systems are a top priority, with 43% of agencies planning deployments within the next five years. Europe leads mobile ticketing adoption, with 86% of agencies using app-based solutions compared to 58% globally.
- Collecting detailed ridership data – Over half of transit agencies are prioritising ticketing systems that provide comprehensive ridership data to support strategic decision-making.
- Shifting to open-architecture solutions – Around 40% of respondents highlight the importance of adopting flexible, open-architecture ticketing solutions to move away from proprietary systems, particularly in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
