How to validate tickets – Warszawski Transport Publiczny

How to validate tickets

Electronic validating machines installed in vehicles operated on ZTM lines and available on metro stations enable validation of tickets and verification of validity of seasonal tickets. Validating machines being a part of the ticket entrance gates enable entering the metro stations. The validating machines communicate with passengers by means of:

  • messages presented on the display,
  • control lights,
  • sounds.

Read through the rules on validating tickets, as well as messages displayed by the validating machines in order to facilitate your getting around by public transport.

Validating machines

Cardboard tickets with a magnetic strip:

Tickets coded on proximity cards (WKM –Warsaw City Card, ELS –Student Electronic Card):

A. Cardboard tickets with a magnetic strip

I. Procedure for validating a ticket with a magnetic strip

  1. If the display shows message “BILET LUB KARTA” (TICKET OR CARD) along with the current date and hour, and no light is illuminated – the validating machine is ready to accept the ticket.
  2. The ticket should be inserted with the magnetic strip down into the opening on the front of the validating machine and then released freely to go automatically inside.
  3. If a correct ticket has been inserted, after a while it is returned, a green light illuminates and a short beep sounds. The display shows the expiry date of the validity period of the seasonal ticket, or message “PRZYJEMNEJ JAZDY” (HAVE A NICE JOURNEY) if a single fare ticket has been validated. The ticket has been correctly validated and can be collected from the opening in the validating machine.
  4. With a seasonal ticket whose validity period is to expire soon, a yellow light illuminates and two short beep sound. Message “BLISKI TERMIN” (EXPIRING) is displayed together with its exact expiry date. The ticket has been correctly validated and should be now collected from the validating machine.
  5. On the ticket reverse, i.e. on the side with the magnetic strip, information about the end of the ticket validity is printed (for seasonal ticket), or the date and hour of validation, the vehicle fleet number, brigade and line number (for single fare tickets).
  6. On tram sets, the number of the first car is printed on the ticket.
  7. The brigade number is simplified to a numerical form, without any other signs (e.g. brigades 16, 016 and C16 are printed as 16 on the ticket) [The brigade number indicate the number of vehicle operated on a given line].
  8. If, despite correct signals given by the validating machine (green or yellow light) no printing is made on the ticket, the ticket is VALID and the passenger may continue to travel.

II. Attempt to validate an incorrect ticket

If, after inserting the ticket into the validating machine, the ticket is returned without validation, a red light illuminates and one long beep sounds, it could be one of the following cases:

  • message “BILET NIEWAŻNY” (INVALID TICKET) – a single fare ticket, already validated, has been inserted,
  • message “BILET JUŻ WYKORZYSTANY” (TICKET ALREADY USED) – concerns time-limit or seasonal tickets. Part of them is secured from double validation in one means of transport (e.g. in order to open the metro entrance gate by more than one person),
  • message “BILET PRZETERMINOWANY” (OVERDUE TICKET) – an expired time-limit or seasonal ticket has been inserted,
  • message “BILET NIECZYTELNY” (UNREADABLA TICKET) – record on the magnetic strip is unreadable. This may be due to a physical damage to the ticket preventing the data coded on the magnetic strip from being read correctly, however it may also be the case that the ticket has been inserted with the magnetic stripe directed upwards. If a correct ticket has been inserted in a correct manner, this may be due to a failure of the validating machine,
  • message “ZBYT KRÓTKI BILET” (TICKET TOO SHORT) – the ticket may be creased, folded, cut or incorrectly inserted into the validating machine,
  • message “BILET ZATRZYMANY” (TICKET RETAINED) – the ticket has been incorrectly inserted into the validating machine (held or pushed, etc.),
  • message “BILET ZASTRZEŻONY” (TICKET BLOCKED) – the ticket should be submitted to one of Punkt Obsługi Pasażerów ZTM (ZTM Passengers Service Centres).

III. Damage or incomplete functionality of the validating machine

  1. yellow light illuminating on the validating machine, and the display showing message “TYLKO KARTA” (CARD ONLY) along with the current date and hour, indicate a malfunction (in most cases – blocking) of the magnetic ticket slot. When the validating machine is out of order, it does not validate a ticket with a magnetic strip – another validating machine should be used instead.
  2. red light illuminating on the validating machine indicates that the validating machine does not validate either the magnetic ticket or a proximity card.
    • message “PRACA ZAKOŃCZONA” (OUT OF SERVICE) along with the current hour indicates that the driver has not activated the validating machines yet. Please inform the driver accordingly.
    • message “KASOWNIK ZABLOKOWANY” (VALIDATING MACHINE BLOCKED) indicates that the machine has been blocked by the ticket inspector in order to avoid any attempt to validate tickets already after the commencement of ticket inspection. The validating machine is unblocked at the request of the ticket inspector or automatically after one minute.
    • any different message indicates a malfunction of the validating machine – please check other validating machines.

B. Tickets on proximity cards (WKM, ELS)

I. Procedure for validating tickets on proximity cards

  1. If the display of the validating machine shows message “BILET LUB KARTA” (TICKET OR CARD) along with the current date and hour and no light is illuminated – the validating machine is ready to accept the ticket.
  2. The card should be placed in front of the validating machine at a distance of not more than 5 – 10 cm and held until the validating machine responses.
  3. If there is a valid seasonal ticket coded on the card, this is signalled by a green light and a short beep. The display shows a message informing about the end of the ticket validity period. The ticket on the card has been correctly validated.
  4. With a seasonal ticket whose validity period is to expire soon, a yellow light is illuminated and two short beeps sound. The display shows message “BLISKI TERMIN” (EXPIRING) and the expiry date of the ticket validity. The ticket on the card has been correctly validated.

II. Attempt to validate an incorrect ticket

If, after placing the ticket in front of the validating machine, a red light is illuminated and a short beep sounds, it could be one of the following cases:

  • message “BILET PRZETERMINOWANY” (OVERDUE TICKET) – an expired time-limit or seasonal ticket has been inserted,
  • message “BILET NIECZYTELNY” (TICKET UNREADABLE) – record on the magnetic strip is unreadable for the validating machine. If the ticket is read by validating machines in other means of transport, this may indicate a malfunction of the particular validating machine,
  • message “BILET ZASTRZEŻONY” (TICKET BLOCKED) – the ticket should be submitted to one of Punkt Obsługi Pasażerów ZTM (Passengers Service Centres),
  • message “TYLKO JEDNĄ KARTĘ PROSZĘ” (PLEASE ONE CARD ONLY) – two or more cards have been brought close to the validating machine and thus it is unable to read either of them.

III. Damage or incomplete functionality of the validating machine

  1. yellow light illuminating on the validating machine, and the display showing message “TYLKO BILET” (TICKET ONLY) along with the current date and hour indicate a malfunction of the proximity module of the validating machine. When the validating machine is out of order, it is unable to validate a ticket coded on the proximity card – please check other validating machine.

The red light illuminating on the validating machine indicates that the machine will not validate either the magnetic ticket or the proximity card.

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