Adding cashless and mobile options for purchasing transit tickets shouldn't necessitate the removal of cash payments.
The editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes in support of a new partnership between the Port Authority of Allegheny County and London-based company Masabi to introduce smartphone payments and home ticket printing.
According to the editorial board, the move adds new options without ending previous options for buying tickets.
"The digitization of the marketplace has led some services to remove cash as a payment option. But cashless businesses disproportionately affect minorities and low-income people. By expanding the payment options in ways that help everyone, not just those with access to expensive technology, [Port Authority Chief Information Officer Jeffrey] Devlin and the Port Authority have impressively threaded the needle," according to the editorial.
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