Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card
Encyclopedia
The Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card , more commonly known as the Yikatong (literally One-card pass), is a store-value contactless smart card used in Beijing
, China
, for public transportation and related uses. It is similar to Hong Kong's
Octopus card
, Singapore's
CEPAS
, or the Oyster Card
used by TfL
in London
, United Kingdom
.
Line 13 and certain bus routes. The card was introduced after previous smart card
pilot projects proved to be successful.
For several years after its introduction, Yikatong was not widely adopted by commuters due to its limited usefulness, relatively high deposit and limited availability. However, on May 10, 2006, Yikatong was expanded to Beijing's entire subway system and all bus routes. It also replaced the old paper monthly passes. At the same time, many more outlets were opened for users to purchase and recharge their cards. While some commuters initially complained about long queues at bus stops, the system has now been adopted by many Beijing commuters. On May 16, 2006, 4,471,800 transactions were made using Yikatong.
The system was introduced on some taxis in 2006, and all Beijing taxis must accept Yikatong payment since the beginning of August 2008. The system is expected to be further expanded for payments of parking fees and expressway tolls.
stations and some bus stations. The cards can be refilled in units of CNY 10 at these counters, and by units of CNY 20, 50, or 100 in Beijing Subway ticket machines. The deposit is used to cover non-sufficient funds for a single trip, and can be refunded when the card is returned.
When paying by the card, passengers get 60 percent off the normal bus fare. For example, a single ticket for bus lines between 1-199 is CNY 1. For passengers paying by card, a same ticket costs CNY 0.4 only. However, paying by Yikatong card gives no discount on subway or taxi fares.
The previous monthly passes have been canceled. Instead, 3 kinds of short-term passes were introduced on Feb 2, 2007 for tourists. They are 3-day, 7-day and 14-day passes for buses only, which cost CNY 10, CNY 20, and CNY 40 respectively, with usage limitations as 18, 42, and 90 respectively. Those cards also requires CNY 20 deposit which will be refunded. No refills available for those short term cards. No photo is required, and cards can be transferred.
The card can also be used at selected cinema, supermarkets and restaurants, such as cinemas of New Film Association, Walmart or Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. Most of the gymnasiums accept the service as well.
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, for public transportation and related uses. It is similar to Hong Kong's
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
, Singapore's
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
CEPAS
CEPAS
CEPAS, or Contactless e-Purse Application, is a Singaporean specification for an electronic money smart card. CEPAS has been deployed islandwide, replacing the previous original EZ-Link card effective 1 October 2009.- Function :...
, or the Oyster Card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
used by TfL
TFL
TFL may refer to:* Tasmanian Football League, an Australian rules football competition* Tensor fasciae latae muscle, a thigh/hip muscle* Transport for London, a public transport organisation in the London area* The Flaming Lips, an American rock band...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
Yikatong was first put into use at the end of 2003 on Beijing subwayBeijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. It is owned by the city of Beijing and has two operators, the wholly state owned Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates 12 lines, and the Beijing MTR...
Line 13 and certain bus routes. The card was introduced after previous smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
pilot projects proved to be successful.
For several years after its introduction, Yikatong was not widely adopted by commuters due to its limited usefulness, relatively high deposit and limited availability. However, on May 10, 2006, Yikatong was expanded to Beijing's entire subway system and all bus routes. It also replaced the old paper monthly passes. At the same time, many more outlets were opened for users to purchase and recharge their cards. While some commuters initially complained about long queues at bus stops, the system has now been adopted by many Beijing commuters. On May 16, 2006, 4,471,800 transactions were made using Yikatong.
The system was introduced on some taxis in 2006, and all Beijing taxis must accept Yikatong payment since the beginning of August 2008. The system is expected to be further expanded for payments of parking fees and expressway tolls.
Cost
The card can be bought against a deposit of CNY 20, and can be bought at most ticket counters at Beijing SubwayBeijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. It is owned by the city of Beijing and has two operators, the wholly state owned Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates 12 lines, and the Beijing MTR...
stations and some bus stations. The cards can be refilled in units of CNY 10 at these counters, and by units of CNY 20, 50, or 100 in Beijing Subway ticket machines. The deposit is used to cover non-sufficient funds for a single trip, and can be refunded when the card is returned.
When paying by the card, passengers get 60 percent off the normal bus fare. For example, a single ticket for bus lines between 1-199 is CNY 1. For passengers paying by card, a same ticket costs CNY 0.4 only. However, paying by Yikatong card gives no discount on subway or taxi fares.
The previous monthly passes have been canceled. Instead, 3 kinds of short-term passes were introduced on Feb 2, 2007 for tourists. They are 3-day, 7-day and 14-day passes for buses only, which cost CNY 10, CNY 20, and CNY 40 respectively, with usage limitations as 18, 42, and 90 respectively. Those cards also requires CNY 20 deposit which will be refunded. No refills available for those short term cards. No photo is required, and cards can be transferred.
The card can also be used at selected cinema, supermarkets and restaurants, such as cinemas of New Film Association, Walmart or Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. Most of the gymnasiums accept the service as well.