Arcontia International, a Swedish producer of contactless smart card readers and terminals, has been selected by LECIP, Inc. for a smart card based fare collection solution, including cashless ticket vending machines and contactless smart card readers.

LECIP and the City of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) inked a deal worth more than $7 million for delivery of a new automated fare collection system based on LECIP’s farebox system and Arcontia’s contactless smart card technology.

The new fare system will be installed on Big Blue Buses operating throughout the City of Santa Monica and the greater Los Angeles area, providing transport to more than 20 million people annually.

LECIP’s fare boxes will include integrated contactless smart card readers from Arcontia, and will accept cash, magnetic stripe cards, and MIFARE contactless travel cards, providing faster, easier and more convenient means of payment for riders. The new system will also include cashless ticket vending machines from Arcontia and a robust smart card back office processing system.