Amsterdam public transit starts process of going cashless

Amsterdam municipal transport company GVB is starting the process of going cashless. From Tuesday travelers can no longer pay with cash on night buses, the first step in completely cashless public transit in the Dutch capital. GVB is working with other public transit companies in the region to achieve this goal, Het Parool reports.

The idea is to prevent robberies by not having any form of cash on public transit. This follows a series of attacks on bus drivers across the Netherlands last year.

From March 26th a total of about 200 GVB buses will no longer accept cash. If all goes to plan, all public transport in Amsterdam will be cashless by January 1st, 2018.

According to GVB, the easiest way to travel is by making sure you have balance on your public transport card. But travelers will still be able to buy tickets with cash at a vending machine or point of sale. And buses will be equipped with card payment facilities.