Barik card


Barik is rechargeable contactless smart card, electronic money used for public transport in Biscay.
It was launched on 2012 as successor of Creditrans travel card. Is available as a credit-card-sized card.

Companies accepting Barik

The card can be used on most Biscay public transportation.

Railways

All railway operators accept the Barik card:
Most buses operators accept the Barik card:
A money ticket and two season tickets can be included in the Barik card.
The card can be top up at the Metro Bilbao station ticket machines, Bilbobus and Bizkaibus booths, establishments identified by the Barik symbol, Barik NFC App and online at the Biscay Transport Consortium website.

Money ticket

A prepaid ticket in which the price of each trip is deducted. The maximum value that an Barik card may hold is €90. The minimum top up is €5.
Available money tickets:
Different fares will be applied according to the covered zones. The fares charged to make the trips are settled by each institution or operator.
The territory of Biscay is divided into five fare zones in the form of circular crowns. The municipality of Bilbao, in the middle, is the zone 1. The other four zones are concentric to Bilbao municipality.

Season ticket

Available season tickets:
On of the two season tickets will be the active ticket while the other will be a reserve ticket. The reserve is a pre-purchasing ticket that will become active on the date selected at the time of purchase of the ticket.

Card types

Standard card

Barik standard cards can be purchased in Metro Bilbao and Renfe ticket machines, Bilbobus and Bizkaibus booths and establishments identified by the Barik symbol, and costs €3. They are sold active and with a Creditrans ticket. After the purchase must top up enough money.
Ten is the maximum number of people who can travel together with a standard card. Each traveller must scanning the card in the card reader and pass the card to the next person.
Barik standard cards can be registered or personalized in order to protected for loss or theft. The registration must be done at Customer Service offices.

Personal card

Is a nominative and non-transferable card, only the named holder can use it.
Available types:
A personal card is required for purchasing all types of tickers. These cards must be acquired in the Customer Service offices.

Usage

Usage of the card involves scanning it at a card reader. The technology allows for the card to be read at some distance from the reader, so contact is not required. Is the validation has been correct, a beep and a visual indicator will be heard. Readers may indicate an error if they detect multiple cards compatible with contactless technology. The balance on the card is displayed in a display.
The cards must be validated as follows:
If the ticket is not validated at the enter or exit, the amount charged will be the difference up to the highest price charged by the operador.
A transfer, discounted by an operator or the same operator between different lines, may be made in which a reduction will be applied to the amount for the second trip. There will be a restriction on the time interval to make transfers: 45 minutes in Urban trip made or 90 minutes Intercity trip made. The transfer between the 1, 2 and 3 lines of Metro Bilbao in Casco Viejo Station with a time interval less than 15 minutes is considered a single trip.

Reporting

Touch-screen ticket machines and Barik NFC App report and print the last 30 journeys, tickets, and balance.
The balance can be requested at sales point agents.

Roll-out history

Pilot test

In 2004 a pilot test was carried out in which the Barik card could be used in certain stations and/or lines of Metro Bilbao, Bilbobus and BizkaiBus, and the cards could be top up at ATMs Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa and BBVA.
In the test 650 people were selected, thus issuing 650 cards. These could be used in the stations of Moyua Station, Areeta Station, Barakaldo Station and Sopelana Station of Metro Bilbao, on the lines Munguía-Bilbao and Bermeo-Munguía- UPV / EHU-Cruces / Gurutzeta of Bizkaibus, and on the line San Adrián-San Ignacio of Bilbobus.
The pilot test lasted six months, and was considered "a success" by the Biscay Transport Consortium. However, its implementation suffered constant delays, initially announcing that it would be introduced in 2006; the date of June 2009 was later announced, and then delayed again in late 2010 or early 2011.
Finally, and after five years of delays, in 2009 he Biscay Transport Consortium launched the Barik project.

Final roll-out

On September 29, 2011, the issuance of the first personalized Barik cards began. Since October 2011, 30,000 users have been testing the Barik card in the Metro Bilbao. Over the following months, new transportation companies were incorporated. The definitive implementation was from September 30, 2012, the date on which the system was opened to all users in phase, being available to the general public on October 11, 2012. It coexisted with old paper and magnetic tickets until December 31, 2013, date in which tickets were definitively retreat.
July 2015: Extension of the original validity from four years to seven years.
December 2015: Top up via the Internet.
February 2016: Top up in NFC mobile phones.
November 2016: Pre-purchasing of the season tickets.
March 2017: CTB's new multi-modal season tickets.

Popularity

In March 2014, it was announced that the one million card was sold.
On 2014, it was announced that 100 million trips were exceeded.
On 2018, it was announced that the 80% of public transport trips are already paid with the Barik.

Usage in other territories

Outside the territory of Biscay can be used: