Half of public transit users forget to check in & out when transferring

Nearly half of train travelers sometimes forget to check out and check in again when they switch to another public transit carrier, according to a survey by travelers' association Rover. Travelers also indicate that this process cause them stress and sometimes result in them missing their transfer.

Rover asked 1,425 train travelers about their transfer check-in experience. 45.2 percent said they sometimes completely forget to check in on the new carrier. If the traveler does not correct this mistake in time, they may be charged a high amount for their trip and risk a fine at the rail company where they forgot to check in, according to Rover.

39.1 percent of travelers said that they sometimes checked in with the wrong transport company. 42.2 percent said that they often miss their transfer because the had to stand in line to check out and back in. Many travelers said that checking out and back in is a source of stress when they already have to focus on their walking route, luggage, and travel information.

"Checking in clearly requires a solution," Rover said, calling on public transit to come up with one. According to the association, the current idea of an app using GPS tracking will not work - 56.2 percent of travelers said that they are not prepared to give up privacy by giving transport companies access to their location data.