Since the launch of the “next generation” Clipper fare payment system on Bay Area transit systems last Wednesday, there have been issues with users accessing the Clipper website and mobile app for several days.
The Clipper Executive Board met on Monday to receive an update from staff at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which administers the Clipper, and Cubic, the vendor contracted to deliver the new electronic fare payment system. Angus Davol with the MTC described the issue with the website and mobile as a “back-end error” that created a backlog of Clipper accounts waiting to migrate to the new system.
Besides the issues with the website and mobile app, Doval said Clipper staff assisting customers on the phone were unable to access account information, due to the same error.
Cubic was able to clear the backlog, but other problems persisted, including “timeout failures” that can prevent customers from accessing accounts, Doval said. Cubic implemented a fix on Thursday last week but problems persist, and an investigation by Cubic is still needed, he added.
Another issue mentioned was that some of Muni’s ticket vending machines currently accept only cash. A blog post from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said the machines are old equipment.
Cynthia Eng with Cubic said they are addressing the issues with Muni’s ticket vending machines, which include a software upgrade. Eng said that 68 percent of machines have already been upgraded, with 100 percent completion expected by the end of this week.
While Cubic works on fixing the issues, the board was still in a celebratory mood about reaching the Dec. 10 deadline of starting the transition to the new Clipper fare payment system, which had been delayed for years.
Now, transit riders and those visiting the Bay Area can tap and pay for fares using a credit or debit card, either using a plastic card or a mobile wallet.