Bucharest subway users will no longer need to buy special metro cards to access the transport system as they will be able to do this with their contactless cards.

BCR, the largest bank in Romania, will install 164 contactless payment systems at the Bucharest subway by the end of this year, in partnership with subway operator Metrorex.

The new Mastercard/VISA payment systems for contactless cards will be found in all 51 subway stations in the Romanian capital. The project, which makes Bucharest the second European capital where this system is available, after London, is to be completely functional by December 31.

The new system will allow any contactless cardholder to access the subway just by approaching the card to the turnstiles. The user will immediately receive a notification about the transaction, and the turnstile will unlock for access.

Thus, those who own contactless cards, regardless of the bank that issued them, will no longer need to buy tickets to access the underground transport. This is a first for the Romanian public transport system.

Some 175 million people used the Bucharest subway last year, which means that the metro trains carried about 480,000 travellers every day.

BCR is the biggest bank in Romania. It recorded a net profit of EUR 225.9 million in the first nine months of this year, up 21.8% compared to the same period of 2015. The profit was mainly influenced by the lower risk costs after BCR restructured its portfolio in the past year.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romnia-insider.com