T-mobilitat, the new digital-ticket system for the Barcelona area’s public transport network, is entering a new testing stage today, 28 June, with participation for the first time from users other than public transport operators.

Known as “T-mobilitat first contact”, this will be a gradual pilot test, steadily incorporating various functions over the coming weeks.

The first stage focuses on contactless validations with the new plastic card. With this goal in mind, T-mobilitat cards are to be distributed among 4,000 volunteers on Monday, 28, and Tuesday, 29, who will be able to use them for making an unlimited number of journeys until Thursday, 1 July.

This initial distribution will be made in the Gran Via de Fira de Barcelona vicinity, where the headquarters of the Mobile World Congress 2021 is located.

More specifically, the distribution points will start off at the Europa-Fira and Espanya stations, where there are interchanges between the metro, TMB and FGC services, and at the Line 9 Sud Fira metro station. ATM expects the distribution points to be able to move to other areas along the network at certain times of the day.

Validations with mobile phones

Validations through mobile phones will start being tested over the coming week, an option initially available for Android devices with NFC.

Any user will be able to download a sample T-mobilitat app for free, which will allow them to validate their ticket, though this will not be the final version of the app.

To access it, users who have applied to take part in the test will need to enter an activation code emailed to them by ATM. The test is also aimed at 4,000 people.

Gradual incorporation of functions and participants

The tests will go through various stages, as the functions being tried out prove successful.

The same will go with the number of people taking part in this “first contact”, which will gradually increase, with more and more volunteers and groups trying out the system.

New functions will be tried out as from 12 July and once the validation function has been verified. Further information.

The dates for each stage will depend on whether the previous stages have been satisfactorily passed and therefore announced through the ATM’s and the public transport operator’s own respective channels.

SOURCES: TMB and ATM