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SEPTA Testing New Kiosk Interface After Hundreds Get New Fare Cards By Accident

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- SEPTA is testing out new displays on its fare card kiosks, because the existing ones are proving to be confusing to riders.

SEPTA has recognized a design issue in its SEPTA key kiosks that is causing users to order a new fare card by mistake, when all they wanted to do was reload their existing one.

"I would say hundreds, yeah. I can't give you an exact figure. It's enough for us to react," said SEPTA's director of revenue equipment maintenance and engineering Sam Sulaiman.

Sulaiman says instead of tapping their existing card outside the touchscreen, riders seeking a reload would touch the screen where it says "tap reader..."

"With the initial screen, the screen itself has two options.  But it doesn't matter where you push on the screen or touch the screen.  It's one full button," said Sulaiman.

And that button leads the machine to issue a new card. SEPTA in its lobby is testing a redesigned interface -- one with clearer options.

Sulaiman says all 200 kiosks could have the simpler interface installed within two or three months.

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