ATH.ENA tickets and cards for boarding public transportation in Greece are soon to phased out, as a new digital payment method, called “TapN’Pay” is about to be implemented.
The new system will allow passengers to board the bus ticket-free with their bank cards (debit/credit/prepaid) or activated devices (smartphone/smartwatch).
Greek Deputy Minister of Transport Christina Alexopoulou mentioned that “by the end of 2024, this service will be available on all buses.”
Currently, 30 cities across Greece have already activated contactless payments on urban buses, both on the mainland and on islands.
One of the major advantages of the new system is time saving, as people will no longer have to search for ticket sale points across town.
It will also contribute to minimizing litter, as it will reduce the number of paper tickets used and, as a result, discarded in public areas, which is unfortunately a very common phenomenon.
Finally, the new system will provide Mobility as a Service (MaaS) support, integrating mobility partner applications such as taxis, rental electric bicycles, airlines, ferry companies, etc.
Normal tickets will not be eliminated and will continue to offer an alternative to digital payments, especially to those not familiar with new technologies, like the elderly.
