Seoul Metro to launch 'tagless' fare charging system

A person places a wallet on turnstile to pay a fare at Jonggak Station in Seoul, July 12. Yonhap

By Ko Dong-hwan

Seoul Metro, an operator of the city's subway service, is testing a new “tagless” fare-charging electronic system ahead of its official launch planned next year.

The tagless system is an upgraded version of the current system that uses a near-field-communication (NFC) technology that requires travelers to tag a smartphone, a payment card or other personal devices with a paying function onto a signal-detecting pod inside buses and at subway station turnstiles. The upcoming service saves such effort, allowing users to move past the pod while machines automatically detect Bluetooth signals to charge fares.

The company under the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday they plan to install 10 tagless fare charging devices at Yongdap Station on Line No. 2, Oksu Station on Line No. 3 and Dongjak and Sadang stations on Line No. 4. The system won't be open to the public but limited to testing by the company employees during this year.

From the tests to be carried out over six months, the company seeks to achieve 95 percent or higher accuracy of the tagless system's location determination technology in recognizing users.

The tests will also make sure the system recognizes each user's Bluetooth signal (from devices installed with Tmoney Mobile smartphone app) in less than 1 second and calculates money transactions without error.

The company expects that the tagless system will expedite bottleneck crowds who wait to move past subway turnstiles or bus entrances.

Following the tests, the company said they will open the tagless system to the public and expand it to all subway stations under the company's control along subway lines 1 to 9.

The company has advertised a bid for companies that want to participate in the project. With the ad closing on Aug. 17, Seoul Metro on Aug. 22 will select companies with matching technological credentials and bidding prices.

Seoul Metro CEO Baek Ho said the subway service will implement more NFC and other emerging technology to improve convenience for travelers.

Seoul Metro said it is launching the latest system, Tuesday, at Ui-Sinseol line that services the city's northern district of Gangbuk with a light rail subway transit.