Warsaw Transport Authority announced the introduction of the first ticket machines to accept contactless payments on public transport in Warsaw.

The contactless-enabled ticket machines, provided by First Data Corporation, came into operation and were most recently put to use when hundreds of thousands of soccer fans visited Warsaw for the “Euro 2012″ European Football Championships and used public transportation to reach the stadium and fan zones throughout the city.

“The new machines are helping to make the sales of tickets faster and more efficient and are especially appreciated by commuters in the rush hour,” said Leszek Ruta, director of Warsaw Transport Authority.

The devices, which have been installed on both buses and trams, accept contactless payments worth up to PLN50 (around US$15). As of the end of July, 112 contactless-enabled ticket vending machines had been installed on Warsaw’s buses and trams and this number is set to increase to 580 by the end of this year