BKK launches new BudapestGO MaaS app

Credit: Budapesti Közlekedési Központ

Thanks to digitalisation, a new era has begun for public transport in Budapest, as Budapesti Közlekedési Központ (BKK/ Centre for Budapest Transport) has announced that its FUTÁR journey planner app has now been replaced by its new BudapestGO app. Journey planning, ticket and pass sales and real-time information on the actual transport situations in the Hungarian capital city have all been integrated into the new app.

The popular FUTÁR app has moved on to a higher level with the arrival of BudapestGO through the introduction of several new functions for users. The new app is not only about renaming its predecessor – a unique digital service has been developed, which follows users from the very first thought of their trip via journey planning and ticket or pass purchase to the very last step that they take during their trip.

New and further developed functions

BKK considers it important that passengers travelling around the city can organise their errands in the most convenient and simplest possible way. To do so, BudapestGO provides the best solution by functioning as much more than an average journey planner. The new app’s most useful functions include:

Credit: Budapesti Közlekedési Központ

Ticket and pass sales in the app, with the addition of the already-available digital Single ticket

Tickets and passes are available anytime with just a few simple clicks in the app. Among the digital products are the Single ticket, to be used for a single trip, and, from March 2022, the 30-minute and 90-minute time-based tickets will also be available.

Ticket and pass sales for nearly anywhere in Hungary

In addition to being able to purchase tickets for Budapest’s public transport lines, users will also be able to purchase tickets and passes via the app for the regional bus services and local public transport lines of every major urban settlement in Hungary.

Thanks to the BudapestGO app, passengers who wish to travel outside of Budapest are not required to download further apps or find ticket vending machines.

Automatic renewal of the monthly pass

In the future, neither queuing in a Customer Service Centre or at a ticket vending machine, nor dedicating attention continuously to their smartphone, will be required to purchase monthly Budapest transport passes. The BudapestGO app allows BKK customers to automatically purchase their monthly pass each month on a continuous basis, similarly to a subscription-based service. They can unsubscribe from this service at any time with one click.

Credit: Budapesti Közlekedési Központ

More transparent interface and quicker journey planning

In the app, timetables are now simpler to use and journey planning is more transparent.

Vehicles can be switched on and off on the map with one click. Passengers can even select whether the app should plan their trip with less transfers or walking. The planning of unique, fast routes can be set and the saved addresses can also be managed more easily.

Display of traffic-related information

The BKK Info app used by many passengers has now been integrated into the BudapestGO app. As a consequence of this, the app indicates real-time traffic-related changes during journey planning.

Purchased tickets and passes on smartphone home screens

Ticket presentation has now become very simple. By using the widget function on a smartphone, the purchased ticket can be kept on the mobile home screen, meaning that the ticket can be available, validated or presented with one click.

Tailor-made push messages

The BudapestGO app does not forget anything and notifies passengers in a timely manner – for example, two days before the purchased product’s expiry date. Push messages can be tailor-made on demand, in order not to bother users. 

From now on, BKK’s customers will have only one task to accomplish: to travel.

The future of BudapestGO

Despite only recently launching, BKK has already begun work to further develop the BudapestGO app. Several already-known complementary functions are being renewed, which will be reactivated after their developments have been completed.

BKK is also paying particular attention to the needs of visually – and physically-impaired users; therefore, further development of the app is being undertaken with the inclusion of experts in order to ensure that the app can be used by all in the best possible way.

Further developments will be made in 2022:

• The number of digital tickets will be further expanded with the addition of time-based tickets from March 2022
• When planning cycling routes, the app will take into account the topography, hence the height-related data and also the different track types
• BKK’s Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) service, Telebus, will also be available to be requested via the BudapestGO app.

However, BKK also has longer-term goals for BudapestGO:

• BKK is working to provide users with the ability to access information and tickets relating to the transport provided in Budapest’s administrative boundary
• Functions supporting navigation and parking will be integrated into the app
• When journey planning, the app will complement conventional urban transport with services such as shared cycling and roller services, and even taxis will be listed
• BKK’s long-term goal is to introduce combined tickets, which will provide flexibility for families or home office workers, among others
• Additional information in relation to Budapest (e.g. cultural programmes, points of selective collection, etc.) will also be available in the app.

The BudapestGO app will be downloadable free-of-charge both from the Google Play store and also from the App Store. Users who have already downloaded the FUTÁR app to their smartphones need only to update the former app.