They had the machines on the 52 bus route in Sheffield, plus at the train station -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebustocrookes/4199375639/ - usually with "out of order" signs written in German...
Its a nice idea, but I'd have preferred the PTE to buy in a technology that works (Oyster), rather than trialling our own...
As has been said, pretty much every smart card/door fob scheme use the same technology - Oyster is a bespoke setup for London - TfL are in the unique position of being both regulator and provider of services for the vast majority of journeys Oyster is available on. This means TfL, uniquely, has the ability to prescribe a ticketing system for the capital - every bus with the roundel on the front will use a TfL approved ticket machine, for example.
Non-TfL acceptance (e.g. TOCs other than LO) has been much slower.
SYPTE and WYPTE need a system that works from launch, and has to work with
1) the railways' ticketing systems (stations are managed by 4 separate companies across the area)
2) the ticketing systems Supertram use
3) the ticketing systems the several dozen bus companies in SY/WY use - some of which use more than one themselves!
SYPTE/WYPTE cannot tell the companies which machines to use, it has to work with them to make a compatible solution.
One day, the systems used by TfL, SY/WYPTE, Centro etc. etc. could theoretically be combined in to a nationwide Oyster - but each of them have very different infrastructures and arrangements with operators.
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so are the machines for Stagecoach or Yorcard and what is a yorcard by the way ?
No reason it can't be both.