--- title: Bus Users in Cincinnati Can Now Simply Tap and Ride Thanks to Validation Units Powered by Masabi description: New validators powered by Masabi allow riders to validate tickets and passes when boarding SORTA services – providing a contactless, secure and safe way to pay. image: https://blog.masabi.com/hubfs/Go%20Metro%20SORTA.jpg --- [![](https://blog.masabi.com/hs-fs/hubfs/masabi%20186.png?width=150&name=masabi%20186.png "masabi 186.png")](http://www.masabi.com/) ![Go Metro SORTA](https://blog.masabi.com/hubfs/Go%20Metro%20SORTA.jpg "Go Metro SORTA") 27-Sep-2021 14:51:36 by [James Gooch](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/author/james-gooch) # Bus Users in Cincinnati Can Now Simply Tap and Ride Thanks to Validation Units Powered by Masabi - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) *440 VAL100 units installed across Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority  (SORTA) bus network, part of the EZfare regional fare payment system, to enable faster and safer boarding.*   **Cincinnati, OH & New York, NY Monday September 27th 2021 **[Masabi](https://www.masabi.com/), the company bringing Fare Payments as-a-Service to public transit, today announced the deployment of 440 HID Global VAL100 units across the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) fleet, allowing riders to validate tickets and passes when boarding SORTA services – providing a contactless, secure and safe way to pay. SORTA tickets are available for purchase on the EZfare regional fare payment system, which is powered by Masabi’s Justride platform. Passes can be purchased on the EZfare app as well as within leading Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and mobility apps such as Transit, Uber and Moovit, while riders can also add funds to their EZfare Accounts at their local Transit Centers.  With the installation of validation devices, riders can now scan their mobile passes on a VAL100 when boarding SORTA buses, with an audible beep and a colored screen identifying the ticket is valid for use. The validation units will expedite the boarding process making riding SORTA services faster and safer by enabling contactless fare payments combined with electronic validation.  SORTA is a member of NEORide, a council of governments comprising 17 transit systems across 3 states, dedicated to the development and promotion of regional public transportation services, the largest of its kind in the United States. Other agencies in the EZfare network that have deployed validators include; Laketran, PARTA, METRO BCRTA, TANK, and MCPT. “The last 18 months have demonstrated the importance of reducing contact between riders and staff on public transit, and minimizing touchpoints has taken on a new relevance to agencies with an important focus put on providing riders with a simple, contactless and speedy ticketing experience,” said **Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi**.  “We’re excited to see the continued rollout of validation units across the EZfare network, providing quick and easy electronic validation for their riders, and expanding the reach of contactless validation, making riding public transit safer in face of the COVID-19 pandemic.” “Putting the power to validate tickets into riders’ hands makes for a quicker and safer boarding experience, minimizing dwell time and helping our operators,” said **SORTA CEO Darryl Haley**. “We are excited to continue our work with Masabi building an EZFare network that not only empowers regional travel, but that strives to offer the same safe and comfortable experience to every rider, every step of the way. All via a single app.” “We are excited for SORTA to launch validators throughout their entire system. This is the next step in expanding EZFare and creating a truly regional fare system that is easier and safer”, said **Katherine Conrad, Director at NEORide**.  ### Written by [James Gooch](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/author/james-gooch) ![](https://blog.masabi.com/hubfs/james%20gooch.png) Head of Marketing at Masabi. Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-gooch-3b9949b) [ ### San Joaquin Regional Transit District Launches Open Payments with Masabi, Delivering “A Faster, Easy Way to Pay” Across Stockton and the Central Valley Jul 2, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/san-joaquin-regional-transit-district-launches-open-payments-with-masabi-delivering-a-faster-easy-way-to-pay-across-stockton-and-the-central-valley) [ ### How SaaS Fare Collection Keeps Getting Faster at Scale Jun 30, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/how-saas-fare-collection-keeps-getting-faster-at-scale) [ ### Tap, Ride, Repeat: How Masabi Is Scaling Open Payments Across North America Jun 30, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/tap-ride-repeat-how-masabi-is-scaling-open-payments-across-north-america) ### Menu [Fare Payments as a Service](http://www.masabi.com/fare-payments-as-a-service/) [Justride Platform](http://www.masabi.com/justride-mobile-ticketing/) [Account Based Ticketing ](http://www.masabi.com/account-based-ticketing/) [Mobility as a Service](http://www.masabi.com/mobility-as-a-service/) [Mobile Ticketing ](http://www.masabi.com/mobile-ticketing/) [Contactless EMV](http://www.masabi.com/contactless-emv-ticketing/) [Blog](https://blog.masabi.com/blog) [Content ](http://www.masabi.com/resources/) [Careers ](http://www.masabi.com/we-are-hiring/) [Contact Us ](https://www.masabi.com/about/) [Request a Demo ](https://info.masabi.com/justridedemo) ### About Justride Masabi’s Justride is the leading Fare Payments platform for public transport. Transit agencies and operators can sign up to mobile ticketing services, enable Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and deploy an account-based system allowing passengers to simply tap a contactless bank card, mobile device and smartcard to travel, without needing to buy a ticket or understand fares. With over seventy agencies of all sizes across ten countries signed up, Justride is leading the movement away from bespoke and expensive ticket systems to Fare Payments as a Service. ### About Masabi At Masabi we believe a new Fare Payments system allowing passengers to just tap and ride, without needing to buy a ticket or understand fares, should be available to every passenger and every transit agency around the globe, without prohibitive costs or taking years to deliver. By providing a Fare Payments platform which is constantly improving and connected with leading mobility applications (for full first-last mile journeys) Masabi is helping passengers move seamlessly from A to B, attracting more people to conveniently ride public transit. ### Masabi Newsletter © Masabi Services - All Right Reserved. **