Validation equipment we support
For operators, agencies and drivers: the ways a Bhadala Atlas pass can be checked today, what each one needs, and what isn’t ready yet.
How a pass can be checked
Every method ends in the same place: a ride recorded for the operator that carried the rider. They differ in what you need and how much they prove.
| Method | What it needs | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Visual check |
Nothing but the driver’s eyes. The rider holds up the live pass; the driver checks the moving colour, the clock and the yellow reduced-fare frame. |
Supported
Everywhere the operator allows it. |
| Scan the rider’s pass |
A phone with a camera and the Bhadala Atlas app, signed in to Driver mode. The barcode on the rider’s pass changes every 30 seconds. It keeps scanning without signal: those scans are saved on the phone and checked when they are sent. |
Supported
Driver mode is in the app only. |
| Rider scans a vehicle sticker |
A printed QR sticker on each vehicle, near the door. The rider scans it with the app. On its own, a sticker scan is the rider’s word that they boarded. Where Bhadala has set a location tolerance for the operator, the rider’s location can confirm they are aboard. |
Supported
In the rider app only. |
| NFC reader |
A third-party reader on the vehicle that reads a card, fob or phone by tap. |
Not yet supported
An operator can turn it on on their Equipment page, but no reader has been integrated end to end, so riders can’t use it yet. |
| Bluetooth (BLE) reader |
Registered Bluetooth hardware on the vehicle that the rider’s phone connects to nearby. |
Not yet supported
An operator can turn it on on their Equipment page, but no reader has been integrated end to end, so riders can’t use it yet. |
Not offered
Bhadala Atlas does not offer its own validator hardware, payment with contactless bank cards (EMV), or automatic be-in/be-out ticketing. Fixed readers are something we would integrate with, not sell.
Who decides what riders are offered
Operators choose the methods they can accept on the Equipment page in the organisation portal.
A rider is offered a method only when the pass allows it and your operator can accept it. So turning a method on can never offer a rider something their pass doesn’t allow.
Interested in readers?
If your agency runs NFC or Bluetooth readers, or wants to, email support@bhadala.us with the make and model. We’ll tell you where integration stands.
Learn the rest
Drivers: checking and scanning passes. Riders: showing a pass at the door.