Skip to main content

Cubic wins NZ national ticketing deal

Open loop system will apply to bus, rail and ferry services across New Zealand
By Adam Hill October 25, 2022 Read time: 2 mins
Payment will be 'seamlessly' integrated across operators in 13 regions (© Giovanni Gagliardi | Dreamstime.com)

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to provide a national ticketing solution for Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

The deal follows a recent win with the agency for Sice, which is to provide a nationwide tolling back-office system.

When completed, CTS's system will cover 13 regions across New Zealand and enable more convenient travel on bus, rail and ferry services.

The solution is similar to ones that CTS has deployed in New York, London and Brisbane, and the company says it will "seamlessly integrate" with existing operators and authorities in each region.

The open loop set-up will allow contactless and smart device payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay.

“When we remove barriers and make public transport easier to use, we can improve safety and reduce road congestion and emissions,” said Yogesh Anand, Waka Kotahi NTS executive sponsor.

“We also understand that accessible and affordable public transport options are key to helping cities grow sustainably and become more liveable and connected.”

Simon McLevie, VP & managing director for CTS Asia & New Zealand, says: “We look forward to working with Waka Kotahi and the regional councils on enabling innovation in customer experience through easier payments for public transport that will improve the lives of all Kiwis.”


In a separate deal, CTS has been awarded an initial five-year deal by Transport Scotland to provide support, maintenance, modernisation and development services to ensure maximum availability of the the UK country's traffic systems. 

CTS's relationship with Transport Scotland dates back to 1993, since when it has developed and maintained software relating to this contract. 

The company will provide ITS web-based information systems and databases, and support ICT systems and IP communications-orientated computer systems to enable the collection and distribution of real-time traffic information regarding incidents on the Scottish trunk road and motorway networks. 

Arcadis IBI Group will support CTS as part of the contract. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Transport MEPs set out steps to achieve transport roadmap goals
    July 15, 2015
    To ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of EU transport, concrete measures are still needed, said MEPs in a report adopted in the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) this week and intended to feed into the Commission review of the 2011 White Paper on Transport. Further efforts to boost air, road, rail and maritime transport, reduce road injuries and close loopholes in passenger rights legislation should be made, they add. The transport sector is a driving force of the EU economy and should
  • ITS asset management matters
    April 26, 2013
    Maintenance of on-road ITS kit needs to become more sophisticated; while new technologies can deliver better road maintenance. David Crawford investigates both sides of the issue "Good information is key to effective ITS asset maintenance,” says Ian Routledge of the Ian Routledge Consultancy (IRC), whose Imtrac (Information Management for TRAffic Control) system is poised for European expansion. Developed as an ‘intelligent filing cabinet’ for storing information about on-road equipment, the online database
  • Sign language reduces human error says Clearview
    September 26, 2019
    Wrong-way warning systems and advanced queue detection can help to reduce human error. They can also cut road accidents – and therefore road deaths, says Clearview Intelligence Where were nearly 1,800 deaths on the UK’s roads in 2018 – an average of five people dying each day. The largest single cause of serious injury is crashes at junctions (accounting for 33% of incidents), while the largest single cause of death was run-off road crashes (30%) “With vehicles increasingly being designed with saf
  • Cubic to continue AFC support in Atlanta
    October 28, 2016
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been awarded a $12.7 million, two-year contract extension from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in the US to provide automated fare collection (AFC) maintenance services. The contract also includes options for an upgrade path to support future updates, which could increase the value to US$52 million if all options are exercised. CTS designed and delivered MARTA’s Breeze Card, a card-based AFC system that utilises Cubic’s smart card ticketing