In early 2024, Capital Metro experienced a critical failure in its fare collection system that went unnoticed by many passengers. Issues with QR code scanners meant that riders often boarded without paying, with drivers allowing this to maintain flow. Internal documents reveal that the payment issues stemmed from an upgrade in August 2023, with ongoing glitches leading to a complete system outage. As the agency prepares to retire its old payment system in favor of a new app, a feature intended for immediate use has been delayed for at least a month due to certification issues.
There's some issues with the QR codes. It could just be because it doesn't read it that well, or it just says it doesn't have anything on there.
CapMetro's payment technology was installed and maintained by Siemens, but the fare system had been unstable since an upgrade launched in August 2023.
The fare system breakdown is tied to sweeping changes coming Saturday, when CapMetro will retire its existing payment system and require riders to use a new app to pay.
For more than a month in 2024, the transit agency's entire fare system had effectively collapsed.
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