Euro 2016 fans to get NFC wristbands for public transport in Lille – a world first in this domain

Football fans at Euro 2016 will be able to pay for their journeys on the Transpole transport network in the French city of Lille with a tap of their wrist using an NFC transport ticketing wristband being rolled out by digital security giant Gemalto and public transit operator Keolis Lille.

Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, announces the world’s first commercial roll-out of a contactless transport ticket wristband in cooperation with Keolis Lille, the public transit operator. It will ensure smoother journeys in and around the French city of Lille as it plays host to six Euro 2016 football matches this summer.

Transpole, the transport network operated by Keolis Lille, is expecting a significant increase in travelers, as the city welcomes up to 300,000 extra visitors for the tournament.

„Users will enjoy the freedom to hop on Lille’s bus, tram and metro services with nothing more than a tap of their limited edition, ‘Partenaire des Supporters’ branded wristband on a contactless reader. As a result, it will encourage supporters and residents to use public transport, and make the journey to the stadium or city center ‘fanzone’ easier. The wristbands have been launched to celebrate the Euro 2016 finals, but travelers will be able to use them indefinitely on Lille’s public transport system. They can be easily reloaded with the complete range of transport passes (except subscriptions) in all Transpole kiosks.”, according to the press release.

Gemalto is supplying Keolis Lille with its Celego contactless wristba​nds, based on Calypso, an international contactless standard for transport ticketing and city services. This wearable solution incorporates the company’s latest technical breakthrough for the transport market, a highly compact secure component that builds on the successful deployment of contactless transport ticketing solutions in more than one hundred cities around the world.

„The new wristbands reflect our commitment to putting travelers at the heart of the Keolis Lille innovation strategy,” said Francine Velthuizen, Commercial and Marketing Director for Keolis Lille. „Gemalto is a long term partner with whom we have already launched the „Pass Pass” transport card. We are delighted to now deploy their new technology – a world first in the public transport domain.”