The firm running Brussels' public transport system has selected technology from Dutch vendor Gemalto for a contactless card programme covering the city's subway, buses and trams.
Société des Transports Intercommunauxde Bruxelles (STIB) has chosen Gemalto's Celego card for the Mobib programme, which will eventually be extended to the whole of Belgium.
The system will enable more than 400,000 inhabitants of Brussels to pay for journeys by tapping their Mobib cards against specially designed readers when the project - begun in April - is complete.
The card - personalised with the holder's photo and valid for five years - can also be used to access public car parks. In the future it will also be used to get into stadiums, fairs and theatres, says Gemalto.
Etienne Graindor, general secretary, ticketing department, STIB, says: "We wanted to provide our customers with a reliable and sustainable product that they can use on a daily basis during five years. Gemalto was able to offer such a card, which met these requirements perfectly."
Contactless transit systems have been gaining traction for some years. In London, the Oyster card system is now used for 78% of bus and tube journeys, prompting the UK government to propose the introduction of an England-wide smart ticketing system.