Pilet.ee › General info› Changes from 21.09.2012 › Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why does AS Ridango send queries about me to the Population Register?
When a person personalizes their smartcard, the system automatically sends a query for the county or city code of the registered address. The queries have been made mandatory by law by the local municipalities to establish whether or not the person has a right for any discounts or free public transport. In Tallinn the queries are mandatory by the regulation "Tallinna ühistranspordis sõidu eest tasumise kord ja sõidupiletite hinnad” where it’s stated, that the check on registered address needs to be done at least once a month regardless of whether the person is using public transport or not (§ 5 lg 3).

Why does AS Ridango make Population Register queries about me at night?
Ridango’s systems send queries to the registry at night to optimize the workload on infosystems. At night-time the usage of both ticketing systems and Population Register is low and the queries don’t disrupt with other users. During daytime, the queries can slow the systems for everyone.

How do I purchase a ticket for my Public Transport Card?
To purchase a ticket or load money onto your Public Transport Card from a sales point, present your card or give your card number. Indicate the kind of ticket you wish to purchase – e.g. a 30-day travel card. If you want to purchase the ticket online, please visit www.pilet.ee. You can also purchase the ticket on the phone, using the Ridango app. The Pilet.ee mobile app sells tickets for Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu and Helsinki.

What happens if the Public Transport Card is lost?
If your Public Transport Card has been personalized then any tickets or money loaded onto it can be transferred to another card. If you personalize a new Transport Card, all of your personal discounts and tickets are automatically transferred to your new card and you can use it in public transport (excl. Elron tickets). For transferring Elron tickets please write to [email protected]. If your card is non personalized, any tickets and money can’t be transferred onto another card nor can you close the card. For this reason, it is recommended that all public transport users personalize their cards. To close your Public Transport Card, call 6118000.

Why do people have to start using Public Transport Cards?
Public Transport Cards enable you to purchase cheaper tickets. If a passenger makes a number of individual journeys in Tallinn, Tartu or Pärnu on one day, they won’t have to pay for more than a 1-day ticket, deducted directly from their Public Transport Card. Travel cards for longer periods are still cheaper if you purchase them in advance yourself.
While non personalized cards can be used by the whole family, no discounts will be applied as these are only available on a personalized card. Your card works in all cities and counties in Estonia and in Elron trains (to validate your Elron day or monthly ticket and prove your entitlement to a discount).

If you’ve already validated your card but you stand too close to the validator, will it sell you another ticket?
If you repeatedly hold your Public Transport Card against the validator, there will be no extra tickets sold or money deducted from your card. You can simply see information about the original ticket. To purchase an additional ticket, you need to select the number of additional tickets from the validator screen using the arrows and validate them separately with the card.

What happens if the hour on the hourly ticket runs out while still travelling?
In Tallinn, if your hourly ticket expires while on a journey with the same vehicle you originally validated it on you can complete your journey. On Harju County lines and elsewhere in Estonia you need to have a valid ticket for the whole journey.

Can one get money back that they’ve loaded onto their Public Transport Card?
There are no time limits on using money loaded onto a Public Transport Card – you can use it a month or even a year later. If you wish to return your card and get the funds left back, either visit the public service office of Tallinn City Government or send a digitally signed application to [email protected].

How long does a Public Transport Card last? Does it need to be renewed at any point?
The Public Transport Cards don’t expire. We do recommend to get a new card if the number on the back is lost or faded.

Can one buy more than one ticket with a Public Transport Card?
You can use your Public Transport Card to buy tickets for up to 5 passengers at a time. To do so, validate your own journey, use the arrows to select the number of additional tickets you need to select the amount of tickets you need, confirm them with the “OK” button and validate additional tickets. If you validate your card repeatedly without indicating that you need additional tickets the validator screen will simply keep informing you that your own journey has been validated and no additional tickets are issued.

How will the information collected from the validators be used?
The information recorded by the validators will provide an overview of public transport use – peak times, busiest days, most popular routes etc. – allowing schedules to be adjusted and any necessary changes to be made.

Can one use my Public Transport Card on trains as well?
It’s possible to buy the joint 30 day tickets for Elron and Tallinn only on Ühiskaart when providing your card number. You can still buy the 1 Day and 30 Day tickets (but not single Elron tickets) for Elron on your Ühiskaart as you can only buy these tickets in advance via pilet.ee website, your mobile phone or from a retail outlet. In order to buy the ticket on the Card you need to provide the card number. To prove your travel eligibility you must show your Ühiskaart Card to an Elron staff member on the train or swipe it on the validator for validation. Tickets bought with your ID code are not accepted by Elron.

Can I load money onto my Public Transport Card and buy a monthly travel card at the same time?
Yes, you can purchase a monthly travel card and also load money onto your Public Transport Card while the travel card is valid. When validating your card, the system first checks whether you have an e-ticket (a 1-, 3-, 5- or 30-day travel card); if you do not, it then checks whether you have sufficient funds on your card; if not, you must purchase a single-trip ticket from the driver or exit the vehicle.

What should be done if the validator doesn’t recognize or react to the card?
First, try holding your Public Transport Card against one of the other validators in the vehicle. If none of the validators recognizes or reacts to your card, please call the information line +372 611 8000 and inform the support team.

What should I do if the validator says I’m out of money or my travel card’s no longer valid and I haven’t got any cash with me?
Passengers can load money onto a transport card with their mobile phone and then buy a ticket with the money loaded onto the card. On the Tallinn and Tartu city lines, tickets can also be purchased from the validator with a contactless bank card.

Public transport will be free for residents of Tallinn. So what happens if one doesn’t validate their journey? Will they be fined?
Public transport is free for residents of Tallinn if they have a personalized Public Transport Card that has been validated when entering the vehicle. If the Card is not validated the passenger can be fined.

How long is the 1 day ticket valid for?
If purchased upfront online, the ticket is valid for 24 hours. If you buy the ticket from the validator, it is valid for one calendar day. When buying the ticket online, you can ask for a reminder to be sent to your phone via text message before the ticket expires.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]