Almaty operates advanced cashless ticketing system - ONAI
By Jim Gibbins - 1st August 2019
Kazakhstan - ONAI, Almaty’s cashless public transport payment system, was established in 2015 as part of a government scheme to improve Kazakhstan’s digital infrastructure by 2020. Having consulted systems used in no fewer than 24 other cities (London’s Oyster Card programme and Hong Kong’s Octopus card) it proceeded to develop its own system, tailored to the habits of its local citizens.
The project has been extremely successful: Fewer than 1% of bus payments are in cash, the majority of those being from non-natives. ONAI cards not only reduces the price of travel but it can be used as a secondary debit card and used as a discount card at many cinemas, restaurants and bars in Almaty. It can be topped up at one of 3000 kiosks in Almaty or via a mobile App.
