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UK Planning National Public Transport Paperless Ticketing System
The UK government has announced plans to roll-out a nationwide ticketing system for public transport that could be based on NFC enabled mobile phones and SIM cards.
The Government estimates that the benefits of universal 'integrated smart' ticketing could be as much as £2 billion per year through improved journey times and faster, more convenient and reliable purchasing and use of tickets, with benefits for local government and operators too.
Some of the more innovative proposals could see electronic tickets or pre-pay credit loaded straight onto a mobile phone enabling it to be used as a ticket; or "contactless" payment which will allow ordinary bank cards to pay instantaneously for travel simply by being passed over a terminal, dispensing with the need for a ticket at all.
The Government hopes that the Smart and Integrated Ticketing Strategy (ITSO) will build on the success already seen in London where 'Oyster' smart cards are now used for 78 per cent of bus and tube journeys.
All recently let rail franchises and new England-wide concessionary bus passes must be ITSO compatible and the government has announced the intention to pay a higher rate of Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) to operators which are equipped with operational ITSO smartcard readers.
A consultation on the ticketing strategy is available at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/. The consultation closes on Friday 23rd October 2009.
Posted to the site on 20th August 2009