The Community of Madrid has taken the first steps towards the total digitization of its public transport card. The regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced this November 19 the launch of a new app, called Virtual Transportation Card, which will progressively add functions to be able to use the mobile phone as a subway, bus or commuter pass.
At the moment, however, its possibilities of use are limited. The app was initially launched only for Android devices, and must have version 7.0 or higher of this operating system, and only three titles can be loaded into it: the 10-trip voucher, the tourist tickets and the destination supplement. airport. The forecast is that the rest of the bonds will be added “throughout 2025”, as the president has indicated.
In addition, it is necessary to have a smartphone with NFC, since this is the technology necessary to exchange data between devices at short distances.
For now, Android users can now start downloading and leaving their reviews of the app in the Google Play Store. iPhone users will have to wait.
Once we integrate the card into our wallet, we can enter the Balance and Recharge section > Acquire Card and Ticket to buy titles. The 10-trip voucher, for example, currently costs 6.10 euros.
Thus, this represents “the first step to fully integrate the transport card into the mobile throughout 2025”, as Ayuso indicated this November 18 during the inauguration of the Global Mobility Call international congress.
Less disappointment due to forgetfulness
Once all the bonuses and titles are integrated into this card, we can expect to reduce those everyday scenes in which someone forgets their transport card after leaving home on the way to work or an appointment, having to spend money for no reason to buy a ordinary title. We can see that the General Transport Consortium of Madrid has enabled a page of frequently asked questions about this new app, although at the time of writing this, the website throws an error.
This new digital tool joins the other app called “Transport Card”, which has been with us for longer, and which allows mobile phones with NFC to recharge the card from the mobile phone by paying with a credit card through Apple Pay, Google Pay or similar.
This app is also available for iPhone users. With this recharge app, we can, for example, save ourselves when we get on a bus and realize at the moment of passing the card that we have run out of balance on the card, allowing us to step aside and recharge it on site from the phone.
