Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority Grows Long-term Relationship with Cubic, Selecting Umo to Modernize Transit Fare Collection

Umo’s new fare payment system, including upgraded equipment and technology, will soon simplify travel for Puerto Rican residents and tourists

SAN DIEGO – October 25, 2022 – The Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (PRHTA) announced it would utilize Cubic’s Umo mobility platform to modernize its fare collection infrastructure on the Tren Urbano (TU) heavy rail system and Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA) transit services including intermodal bus fleets.  

The Umo mobility platform will escalate the existing service to a new level of urban modernization. Umo, a cloud-based platform by Cubic Transportation Systems, centralizes and streamlines transit fare payment, supporting PRHTA’s efforts to make mobility more accessible and equitable for residents and tourists in Puerto Rico’s greater San Juan metropolitan and adjacent urban areas.

“We are excited to expand the relationship with Cubic, spanning over two decades, and collaborate on this essential initiative for Puerto Rico,” said Eileen M. Velez-Vega, PE Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico. “Puerto Rico was the first to deploy a Transit System in the Caribbean and now is the first to deploy the industry’s leading fare collection system in the Caribbean. Modernizing the fare collection system at all Tren Urbano rail stations and the entire bus fleet will benefit our transit riders by providing them with the latest fare payment technology.”

Added Cubic’s Umo VP & General Manager Bonnie Crawford: “Cubic is proud to partner with PRHTA to provide a comprehensive solution to enhance the transit experience in San Juan and adjacent communities. Puerto Rico’s investment in this technology upgrade will create a convenient and seamless customer experience through a feature-rich platform.”

Modernization of the fare collection system will simplify the customer experience by migrating to contactless payments using the Umo mobile app or agency-issued smartcard. This upgrade also provides bus and rail users the convenience of easy fare payment with their Apple or Android devices and easy reloading of their electronic wallets for contactless travel. Additionally, the Umo platform ensures that riders who prefer to pay with cash can continue using their preferred payment method.

The deployment of Umo will expand riders’ payment options, enhance their intermodal experience with mobile applications for personal account management, journey planning, and much more. TU, together with AMA’s planned modernization upgrades will establish Tren Urbano and AMA as a leading-edge transit system.

“Our Cubic team includes personnel who participated in the original installation and implementation of the TU and AMA fare collection system for Puerto Rico over 20 years ago,” Crawford said. “The extensive legacy system expertise and highly knowledgeable Umo team members will ensure a smooth migration to a state-of-the-art fare collection system.”

Umo’s platform-based approach simplifies transportation management, enabling everyone from the smallest bus operator to the largest regional transport authority to deliver a reliable transit experience for their communities. With regular system updates and enhancements for the firmware, software and mobile app included in the SaaS (Software as a Service) model, the Umo platform will never become obsolete.

The Tren Urbano and AMA transit system with its intermodal bus service serves more than nine municipalities with a combined annual ridership exceeding 10 million. For more information, visit www.dtop.pr.gov.