The Spanish city of Vélez-Málaga has adopted wallet pass technology from Fobi AI as part of a smart mobility initiative. The aim is to encourage use of public transport and sustainable mobility. The deal is the first result of a new partnership between Fobi AI and the Spanish digital wallet agency, Wallet-Com. Fobi will earn revenue on the deal through a one-time set-up fee as well as fees per active pass.

Vélez-Málaga is in the province of Málaga, Spain. It is in one of Europe’s largest tourist regions, and the city has a picturesque old town. The city has also initiated a number of sustainability initiatives to reduce pollution such as low-emission zones.

Employing Fobi’s Passcreator wallet pass technology, the Vélez-Málaga Council has been able to offer over 17,000 free bus passes. These will provide a total of 510,000 free trips up until September 30, 2023, with each pass loaded with 30 trips each.

The passes are available for four different groups: young people aged 16 to 30, pensioners, families, and drivers living in low-emission zones.

Each bus pass indicates the number of trips available, which automatically updates with each trip made. While the bus pass is valid until the end of September, the pass itself will not expire, but will update into a personal wallet pass. The City Council will continue offering new benefits to residents through the personal wallet pass, including digital identification cards, retail gift cards, and entry tickets to museums and exhibitions.

The city’s digital initiative aims to promote sustainable mobility and align with the Urban Agenda 2030’s goals for towns committed to reducing pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

Within the first couple of months of the project’s launch, Vélez-Málaga Council created over 10,428 digital bus passes, which is over 60% of its target of 17,000 passes.

Having already achieved wallet pass success in other parts of Europe, Fobi’s Passcreator is now tapping into Spanish-speaking markets through its partnership with mobile wallet agency, Wallet-Com. Wallet-Com provides leading communications and marketing technology to over 200 customers around the world, including countries such as Spain, Chile, Peru, and Mexico.

Through this agency relationship, Fobi continues to notably scale its wallet pass technology through strategic partnerships, gaining access to Wallet-Com’s extensive customer base and further strengthening the Company’s position in global markets. The city of Vélez-Málaga is one of the first customers Wallet-Com has landed an agreement with for Fobi, which has provided a significant opportunity for the Company to continue gaining traction in its goals for assisting in the transformation of smart transportation and cities.

José Javier Diaz, CEO of Wallet-Com, said “More and more customers are using their smartphone wallets to carry the cards and tickets they need on an everyday basis, including for travel and transportation. Our work with the City Council and Fobi shows just how powerful wallet pass technology can be for integrating daily activities across entire communities, especially in towns like Vélez-Málaga who are also committed to reducing their carbon footprint and are already establishing several initiatives to improve sustainable mobility.”

Rob Anson, Fobi chief executive, said “Our digital transformation project with the Vélez-Málaga Council is just another key example of the immense value that our technology solutions can bring to global markets, especially on the digital sustainability forefront. The creation of smart cities is rapidly evolving, and Passcreator’s strategic partnership with Wallet-Com is helping us reinforce and further solidify Fobi’s abilities to drive the transformation of smart transportation and cities worldwide.”