Podorozhnik also features a multi-purpose payment control policy allowing future integration of new players and new services based on MIFARE Plus cards. According to NXP, MIFARE Plus is already used by operators of public ground and underground transport in the S-Petersburg and Leningrad Region, as well as suburban electric trains.

Stanislav V. Popov, chairman of the transport committee of St. Petersburg, adds: “The unique benefit of the project is that it allows passengers to access all city transportation resources with a single card instead of multiple cards for various types of transport. Passengers don’t need to worry about buying multiple cards and their validity dates to access the desired transportation resource whenever they need it. Moreover, if the card is regularly used, the discounted tariff will be activated automatically. Thus, for a frequent passenger taking advantage of using the Podorozhnik card in the city transport of S-Petersburg, discounts of 1.5 to 7 roubles per trip can apply.”

The Podorozhnik transport card was piloted St Petersburg in January 2011, with mass roll-out of the system beginning in May 2011. In total, the system will serve more than four million residents and more than one million tourists daily, says NXP.