News
Madrid introduces a system that automatically calculates the cheapest ticket
Getting around Madrid is about to become simpler. The city is preparing an intelligent payment system that will let passengers use transport without choosing a fare: the system will automatically calculate the cheapest price based on journeys made.
The key lies in Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) technology. It will be enough to validate entry with a bank card, mobile phone or QR code on services such as Metro de Madrid or EMT Madrid buses. From there, the system records journeys and calculates the most advantageous cost.
The change removes the need to choose between a single ticket, a travel pass or a monthly pass. If you make few journeys, you will pay the minimum. If you travel more, the system automatically adjusts the price until it applies fares equivalent to or cheaper than the current passes.
In addition, payment will not be immediate. It will be made at the end of the day or the established period, with a clear summary of journeys and savings applied. This allows people to travel without planning how many journeys they will make.
Implementation will be gradual and will coexist with traditional tickets for a time. The aim is to integrate all modes of transport, including intercity buses and, in the future, Cercanías.
Beyond the technology, the change points to a new way of understanding mobility: more flexible, adapted to actual use and without friction for the user.
Madrid is thus moving towards a model in which transport adapts to the traveller, rather than the other way round, in a city where millions of daily journeys set the rhythm of urban life.