SEPTA extends bid process for new fare collection system

By: Tom MacDonald

SEPTA has pushed back its bid process for a high tech fare collection system. The delay isn’t expected to impact implementation of the system.

By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org

SEPTA has pushed back its bid process for a high tech fare collection system. The delay isn’t expected to impact implementation of the system.

Transcript:
SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney says the agency is giving the bidders more time to understand just what the transit agency wants in it’s new fare collection system

Maloney: “We expect the cost of the program to completely overhaul our fare collection system with new technology to be $100 million. We’ve had interest from all over the world.  We’ve had pre-bid meetings and tours. A number of the major companies who we expect to be bidding have asked for more information, so we’re giving them some more time.”

Maloney says the system has to be beyond state of the art and work on all the transit system’s vehicles. He adds it has to work on day one without any problems. The timetable is still in place to have a test system up and running next year.

Listen:
Click on the play button below or right click on this link and choose “Save Link As” to download. [audio: reports20090323card.mp3]