Cubic announces subscription-based platform to simplify city mobility

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has announced the launch of Umo, a subscription-based integrated technology platform for riders, transit agencies and mobility service providers.

The firm will initially roll out the service in 31 US cities and counties, and says Umo will enable riders to conveniently pay fares and plan trips across public and private modes, earn rewards for riding public transit and access real-time information to optimise their mobility experience.

The first products, Umo mobile app and Umo Pass, will be available in the coming weeks across 15 US locations including Shreveport, Louisiana, and Victor Valley, California.

Contactless readers will also be installed on buses and in subway entrances in 16 additional markets including Raleigh-Durham and Ventura County, California, during spring 2021.

“As cities everywhere look to recover lost transit ridership after a pandemic-induced decline, Cubic’s technologies are critical in helping us do that by delivering an intuitive, streamlined experience,” said Alan Bright, Chief Financial Officer of the Shreveport Area Transit System (SporTran).

“Umo provides our riders with an easy-to-use platform for engagement with public transportation that simultaneously offers accessibility and trip-planning information across private modes.”

Mobility solutions

The new platform comprises six distinct travel solutions, each one a standalone tool that becomes more productive when combined with other offerings in the platform, CTS says.

The platform includes:

• Umo App: comprises multimodal trip-planning and fare payment capabilities all in one app. Developed in partnership with Moovit
• Umo Pass: an account-based fare collection platform for transit agencies that aims to reduce the cost burden of traditional fare collection and make it easier for riders to pay through various touchless options
• Umo Pay: provides a simplified approach for allowing transit agencies of all sizes to accept contactless scheme cards (Mastercard, Visa and American Express) as payment on buses and at railway gates
• Umo Rewards: loyalty programme that incentivises riders to engage with public transit and their communities by rewarding frequent, safe and congestion-reducing travel behaviours
• Umo IQ: enables transit agencies to monitor and manage their vehicle fleets, and deliver accurate, real-time travel information to riders’ phones and digital displays at transit stops to help maximise travel efficiency
• Umo MaaS: a marketplace that brings together public and private mobility operators and provides connected journey options that are tailored to the preference of individual travellers.

“Cities are undergoing a paradigm shift for transportation, with COVID-19 capping a decade in which the transit ecosystem fractured into a complex landscape of new private modes alongside public networks,” said Mick Spiers, General Manager, CTS.

“Umo is a single multi-agency platform. All customers connect and consume the service in a subscription-based model, much the same as you connect to services such as Spotify, Netflix or Office 365,” added Spiers.

Image: MTA