Panama public transport to migrate to new cloud-based payment system

Public transport users in Panama City will experience a temporary suspension of card recharge services this weekend due to a technological migration. The transition, managed by contractor SONDA in coordination with Metro de Panamá, MiBus, and the Autoridad del Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre (ATTT), involves moving from a physical card-based balance system to a cloud-based platform known as ABT.

Recharge services via applications, electronic methods, ticket offices, and physical points of sale will be unavailable starting Saturday, August 29, at 8:00 p.m. (or 9:00 p.m. according to some reports) and will resume by early Sunday, August 30, around 3:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m.

While the Metro and MiBus services will continue to operate normally, passengers are advised to ensure they have sufficient balance before the suspension begins. Upon the first use of a card following the migration, validators may take approximately one additional second to process the transaction as the card connects to the new cloud system.