Transit Cards Worldwide Trivia Quiz

Answer: London

Oyster Cards are issued by Transport for London and are generally blue. While London started its first experiments with electronic cards in 1992, it didn't roll out the Oyster Card until 2003. The cards contain RFID chips. The Oyster Card can be used almost anywhere in the Greater London transportation network, including the Underground, buses, the Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Rail, London River Services and the Air Emirates tramway.

The London Underground is the world's oldest underground railway system, founded in 1863. It has 272 stations spread over 402 kilometers, and serviced an average of 1.8 million passengers daily during the summer of 2021.

The London Underground has been featured in many films and television series over the years, most notably in "Sliding Doors" (1998) and "Skyfall" (2012). In the 1968 "Doctor Who" episode "The Web of Fear," the underground is attacked by yetis.

Answer: Tokyo

PASMO cards are contactless smart cards. The cards are based on an RFID chip developed by Sony. Tokyo introduced the cards in April of 2007 and there was massive demand. There were at least 11 million PASMO cards in use in the Tokyo area by 2009. The cards are silver with red lettering, in English.

PASMO cards are good on virtually every major train and bus line in the Greater Tokyo area, and that is extensive. Suica cards are similar contactless cards that are used in Japan.

While Tokyo has several subway operators, The Tokyo Metro has the highest ridership with an average daily ridership of 6.85 million. The system has 180 stations over 195 kilometers, and has been operating since 1927. It would take way too much space to describe all the systems that accept PASMO.

Answer: Buenos Aires

The SUBE (Sistema Único de Boleto Electrónico) or Unique Electronic ticket system, is a contactless fare card system that was introduced in 2009. Part of what drove its introduction was an acute coin shortage in Argentina. The card is valid on the Buenos Aires subway system, but also all the bus systems and many trains. SUBE cards are dark blue with green and white printing.

The Buenos Aires Subterraneo (Subte for short) is one of the world's older metro systems, starting in 1913. It was the first subway system in Latin America. It has 104 stations that cover 56.7 kilometers. It has a daily ridership of 1.38 million in 2018. The Buenos Aires subway is one of the most beautiful systems in the world, filled with murals; some were declared National Historical Landmarks in 1997.

Several movies have shot scenes in the Buenos Aires Subte, including "Highlander II: The Quickening," quite possibly the greatest bad science fiction movie ever made.

Answer: Hong Kong

The Octopus Card is contactless stored value smart card. It was launched in 1997, making it the second metro smart card in the world, and has inspired many systems around the world including Oyster Pass in London and Navigo in Paris. The card can be used not only for transit, but at convenience stores and fast food restaurants along with many places. It is used for the MTR rail, but alo the bus system and the many ferries which cross Hong Kong harbor. The Octopus Card is gray with a stylized orange, green and blue Mobius strip.

Answer: Moscow

The Troika card was introduced in Moscow in 2013. It is light blue with three horses and the word "Troika" in Russian. Riders can use it on buses for 31 rubles or on the Metro for 32 rubles (around 40 cents in 2021). In 2001, they created a Troika App for smart phone users. Cards can be used in Moscow and on Russian Railways.

The Moscow subway is widely regarded as the most beautiful in the world, with exquisite architecture. Komsomolskaya, Kiyevskaya and Mayakovskaya are noted for their marble archways and chandeliers. The subway system is actually a popular tourist attraction.

The Moscow system has 250 station over 435.7 kilometers, making it the largest system outside China. It had an annual ridership of 2.5 billion in 2018. The first stations were begun under Stalin in 1935-1938, with expansions in the 1950s, and the system continues to grow, with several additions in 2019.

Answer: Toronto

The Presto Card is a contactless smart card used in the Toronto and Ottawa areas. It was first tested in 2007 and fully rolled out in late 2009. Presto cards are black with green and white printing. While their primary user is the Toronto Transit Commission, Presto cards are valid on a variety of other Ottawa transit systems. Single use Presto tickets are also available, and they are white.

The Toronto Subway system began with 12 stations in 1954. Today, there are 75 stations over 77 kilometers. It had a daily ridership of 1.58 million in 2019. Most stations have links with bus and tram lines. Since the 1990s, the system has been adding public art, much is found along lines 1 and 2, including a hockey mural at College Station.

Answer: Sydney

Opal cards are contactless smart cards used by the Sydney transit system. They are equipped with a microchip and RFID chip. Cards for adults started in late 2012, with cards for children and seniors starting in 2014. Opal cards come in several colors: black cards for adults, green for children, and yellow for senior citizens. By 2016, 7.7 million Opal cards had been issued. Cards are valid of all the systems of Transport for New South Wales including trains, buses, ferries and light rail.

The Sydney subway system runs for Tallawong to Chatswood, with 13 stations along 36 kilometers of track. It had an annual daily ridership of 31,000 in 2021. It started operation in October 2019. There are plans for major expansions of the system between 2022 and 2030. While Sydney does have some of the world's higher transit system costs, they are daily and weekly caps to limit costs for riders.

Answer: Wellington

Wellington began using contactless smartcards called Snapper cards in 2008. Snapper cards use Infineon and SmartMX technology. The cards could be used for items such as food and beverages up until 2015 The cards started for use on buses, but moved to ferries and rail as well. Snapper cards are bright red with a stylized fish.

Wellington's light rail system, Met Links, has 49 stations over a 154 kilometer network. The first electric rail system opened in 1938. The system had 14.2 million users during 2018.

Answer: Bangkok

Rabbit is a contactless stored value card that Bangkok has used since 2012. Cards can be used on the Bangkok Skytrain. Cards can be refilled at any BTS and BRT office or station and at many McDonalds. Rabbit Cards are orange and gold with a stylized white logo of a rabbit.

Bangkok has two subway systems. The larger one is the BTS Skytrain, which has 61 stations over 68 kilometers. It began operation in late 1999, and had an average daily ridership of around 750,000 in 2019. Bangkok's second metro system is the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), which has 53 stations operating over 70 kilometers. MRT was started in July 2004, and had an average ridership of 470,000 in 2019.

Answer: Paris

Carte Navigo is a smart card which uses the Calypso standard and has used NFC chips since 2013. The cards were first introduced by Paris transit authorities in 2001. Navigo Easy single use tickets were introduced in 2019; they are light blue and white. The Carte Navigo is light blue and black with blue and white printing.

Carte Navigo is valid on RATP, the authority which runs the subway and buses in Paris; Optile, which runs buses in suburban Paris, and SNCF, the French railway network.

The Paris Metro is one of the world's older subway systems, starting in July 1900. It is well known for its stylish Art Nouveau entrances, which have become a symbol of Paris. By 1940, the system had expanded to reach every arrondisement in Paris as well as many suburban communities. It is one of the larger systems in Europe, with 304 stations over 225 kilometers of track. The Paris Metro had a daily ridership of just over 4 million in 2015.