Over on the Abellio ScotRail thread it was suggested that smart ticketing as a paper ticket replacement for the majority of regular rail users. Has this suggestion ever been formally put forward by the DfT, RDG, or any other official body?
At present we have a variety of identical but incompatible ITSO systems on some, but not all, franchises. What exactly was the motivation for these as opposed to a DfT controlled, centralised system?
Certainly the benefits of integrated ticketing are well known, and Oyster's example in the realms of TfL is a very good one, and other places such as the Leeds metro and TfGM have their own systems.
Even without integration with other transport modes, would reducing paper ticket usage reduce fare evasion, reduce the costs associated with lots of ticket machines at busy stations, encourage more advance purchasing for better fares, open up the possibility of pay-as-you-go fares, and ease environmental concerns? Would those factors justify the expense of fitting scanners at every station? Could we see the use of contactless payments instead, limited to journeys under a set price?
The system in use in the Netherlands, a form of smart ticketing, is very straightforward for those living there but quite alien to outsiders. I don't think there's any doubt that paper tickets are here to stay in the UK for the next few decades at least, and the average occasional passenger would be very slow to adopt any new system.
With fares reform a hot topic at the moment, I'd be very interested in hearing proposals.
At present we have a variety of identical but incompatible ITSO systems on some, but not all, franchises. What exactly was the motivation for these as opposed to a DfT controlled, centralised system?
Certainly the benefits of integrated ticketing are well known, and Oyster's example in the realms of TfL is a very good one, and other places such as the Leeds metro and TfGM have their own systems.
Even without integration with other transport modes, would reducing paper ticket usage reduce fare evasion, reduce the costs associated with lots of ticket machines at busy stations, encourage more advance purchasing for better fares, open up the possibility of pay-as-you-go fares, and ease environmental concerns? Would those factors justify the expense of fitting scanners at every station? Could we see the use of contactless payments instead, limited to journeys under a set price?
The system in use in the Netherlands, a form of smart ticketing, is very straightforward for those living there but quite alien to outsiders. I don't think there's any doubt that paper tickets are here to stay in the UK for the next few decades at least, and the average occasional passenger would be very slow to adopt any new system.
With fares reform a hot topic at the moment, I'd be very interested in hearing proposals.