ITSO - What is it? How will it work?

[jbb]

To cope with some of the earlier problems mentioned on this thread, if I was designing it, I would resolve them at the time of loading the ticket onto the card.

Presumable when you buy a ticket you have access to a device that can ask you questions. It would be "simple" to to analyse the combination of tickets and say "You already have a ticket that would be valid for some of the journeys your new ticket will allow. Please indicate which journeys you would like to charge to which ticket."

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi there,
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a printout of the trips you've made with the EMT card? I've applied for one anyway but this feature would be useful.

At the moment I need to keep the tickets I use for expenses and the taxman. Having a simple prinout of trips with dates, locations and costs wouold be a great improvement over the shoebox of old tickets I collect each tax year!

I haven't seen this mentioned in the EMT FAQ so I wondered if anyone has seen or heard about this.
Cheers,
Jason

 

[jon0844]

To cope with some of the earlier problems mentioned on this thread, if I was designing it, I would resolve them at the time of loading the ticket onto the card.

Presumable when you buy a ticket you have access to a device that can ask you questions. It would be "simple" to to analyse the combination of tickets and say "You already have a ticket that would be valid for some of the journeys your new ticket will allow. Please indicate which journeys you would like to charge to which ticket."

Let's hope that with NFC enabled phones (and perhaps readers for home use), we'll get third party apps that can interrogate these cards and do that sort of thing.

It would be cool to buy tickets online, from your PC or smartphone app, and then get told to present your smartcard and - bing - it's on your card. Job done.

The good thing is that the industry doesn't need to worry about doing this from day one, and it should be possible to introduce further down the line (sic).

Does anyone know if it's possible to get a printout of the trips you've made with the EMT card? I've applied for one anyway but this feature would be useful.

When I get mine, I'll interrogate the card and see what information I can get. Mind you, I'll probably need to put some tickets on it first.

 

[Lrd]

When I get mine, I'll interrogate the card and see what information I can get. Mind you, I'll probably need to put some tickets on it first.

I have NFC on my phone and using a few apps on the Android Market, I have been trying to read my ITSO smartcard (for local buses) and it cannot read it, haven't tried many apps (there aren't that many out there), it seems that the cards are secured in some way?

 

[Wyvern]

With Trent Barton's Mango card you top it up on line and can read your balance and journey history.

I would think it ought to be possible with any ITSO card if the issueing company has invested in the factlity.

 

[jon0844]

An app may well need to be given the ability to decode certain information. For example, there's an app to read data from the Hong Kong Octopus cards. I have one from my last trip to HK and it shows a balance of $0!

 

[HowMuch?]

If the ticket inspector tells you that his reading machine can't find a ticket on your card, or shows you a readout that says "Child Ticket", what are you going to say?

"That's funny, I know I bought a valid ticket. Either the TVM didn't work properly, or my card is broken, or your reader is dodgy".

"A likely story, sir, Try getting some of the hard cases on RailUKForums to believe you. Here's your summons".

Those of you who like a challenge will probably enjoy being dragged through the courts and proving you really did buy a ticket by whatever electronic records you can produce (er, none, if the TVM was faulty and didn't debit your bank account, or if you paid cash). For most people the process would literally be like a nightmare - with the dread of a possible criminal record and end of career.

Look at the reported cases where people have been caught on buses with an Oyster card that didn't show a tap-in. They didn't have a leg to stand on and now have a record. Are we convinced that 100% of them were fare dodgers?

Perhaps the TVM could issue a paper receipt for you to show the inspector .

With the word "Ticket" on it ?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Eagle, Good points.
The DfT may want ITSO cards to become common usage but there is an awful lot of explaining to done first to explain to the populace on how they will work.
If we don't understand them on these forums, there is no chance the general public will take to them.
Do I see another expensive disaster looming .... ?

Like many over-60s, I've got one.
It's called a Bus Pass (ITSO logo is on the back).
You just tap it on the reader on the bus, and it lets you on - free!

 

[GNER 91128]

I have a ITSO Stagecoach smart card which I pay £42.50 a month for for unlimited travel in Peterborough, I just swipe it like the OAPs, It would be nice if I were able to add a day rider for another city on it for when I go to Lincoln to visit my dad for example.

I like the idea of having a similar style of card for use for train tickets as my Arsenal silver membership card where I can just go online and log in with my membership details and buy tickets for the games I want and they are loaded on the card ready.