Beijingers may soon be able to punch their mobile phones to pay
for tickets on public transit, sources with the city's public
transportation group said on Tuesday.
A variant of a mobile phone's SIM card is being developed and
tested, said Xu Fa, a marketing manager of the Beijing Municipal
Administration and Communication Card Co. Ltd.
Xu said the card is now being tested on a new Nokia mobile
phone, but he didn't indicate when it might come into use.
A year ago the company introduced the so-called smart card that
allows commuters to swipe a credit-card to ride the transit system.
As of May 11, 11.43 million smart cards have been issued in
Beijing, said Wang Lianqi, general manager of the company.
In the future Beijingers may also be able to use their smart
cards to pay for their utilities such as water, electricity, and
gas, said Wang.
"There is no problem with the technology but we need a seamless
connection between different public services. The work is in
progress." said Wang.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2007)