SEPTA delays smart card contract until November

SEPTA has put off awarding a contract to build its new fare collection system until next month, according to spokesman Richard Maloney.

The authority had originally hoped to announce a winning bid at its October board meeting.

In an email, Maloney said SEPTA is still evaluating the “previous work of the bidders.”

Three companies are currently vying for the contract: ACS Transport Solutions Group, Scheidt and Bachmann USA Inc. and Cubic Transportation Systems Inc.

You can read a short profile of each company here.

The new fare collection system, expected to cost about $100 million, will replace tokens and establish an open payment system whereby riders will be able to pay fairs with wither a credit card or mobile device with the appropriate technology.

The contract has been delayed repeatedly, partly because of cuts in state funding, and SEPTA says it will take two to three years to get the system up and running after a contract is awarded.