Add optional link to official fare purchase apps/websites from stop details

[AtharvaKathe18]

Problem

Riders often need to purchase a valid fare using a transit agency’s official ticketing app or website before boarding a bus.
Currently, users must leave OneBusAway and manually search for the correct fare system, which can be confusing and time-consuming.

Proposal

Add an optional, agency-aware link such as:
“Buy ticket (official site/app)”
on relevant detail screens (e.g., stop details or route/trip details).
The link would:

• Redirect users to the official fare purchase website or app for the agency serving the selected stop or route
• Be shown only when a known official fare URL is available
• Open an external app or browser (no in-app handling)

Non-Goals

This does not include:

• In-app ticket sales
• Payment processing
• Fare calculation
• Ticket storage or validation
• Integration with agency payment systems

OneBusAway would only provide a redirect to official channels.

UX Notes

• The link would appear outside of arrival rows
• Possible placements include above/below the arrivals list or as a sticky CTA
• The link would be hidden when no official fare purchase option exists for the agency

Questions

• Preferred screen placement for this link?
• Should this be strictly agency-based or region-configurable?
• Any policy or UX concerns with linking to official fare channels?

[edengilbertus]

hi is it possible i can plan and work on this??

[barbeau]

The current maintainers can correct me if this has changed, but this is already supported if the region provides the metadata for the fare payment app:

onebusaway-android/onebusaway-android/src/main/java/org/onebusaway/android/ui/NavigationDrawerFragment.java

Line 437 in 498dcfd

if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(currentRegion.getPaymentAndroidAppId())) {