Can Smart Ticketing Technology Keep Passengers on Board?

With the introduction of Wi-Fi services and green vehicles, the industry is changing. Ticketing is an area where technological advancements are quickly developing, meaning key changes for the industry could be on the horizon.

The implementation of Smart Ticketing systems has been suggested as a future change which could be rolled out across the UK in the next decade. The change would hope to update the payment process and improve the passenger experience.

The Government announced in May that it would be providing an extra ??15 million to help increase investment in smart ticketing equipment, particularly among small and medium-sized bus companies.

The technology involves travel tickets being stored electronically on a microchip rather than being printed on paper. In most smart ticketing schemes, the microchip on which a ticket is stored is embedded into a smartcard. For this reason, these initiatives are often known as smartcard schemes.

Smart ticketing systems will bring benefits to the industry by allowing passengers to load tickets or credit in advance of travel, speeding up boarding times and reducing queuing. They can also help combat fraud and increase security, as they are harder to replicate, and can be electronically 'killed' if reported lost or stolen.

MEPs recently called for EU countries to improve and connect timetables, and for providers to develop multimodal cross-border journey planners that would include the implementation of smart ticketing. The theory behind this is that it will increase the use of public transport, and if there is no progress by 2020, legislation could be introduced.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT) is recognised by the Government as the voice of the bus and coach industry. We asked Pauline Grant OBE, Deputy Director of Communications at the CPT, about what her thoughts are on the potential roll out of smart ticketing across the UK.

"Various options are emerging that could help the industry to present a more attractive commercial proposition to passengers" Pauline said.

"One of the most promising involves contactless bank cards, and things like Apple Pay that use the same principles, rather than smart cards."

"TfL are already quietly shifting customers away from Oyster towards contactless cards.

"CPT is involved in a project that is looking at various practical issues ??? including the connectivity of sales terminals on buses ??? with a view to having a framework agreement in place by the end of the year for operators that want to accept contactless cards.

Potentially, new consumer price propositions across all modes of transport, coupled to new ways of paying, could significantly improve the position of public transport in the UK."

But do the CPT feel a system like this would be implemented?

"The new system could be implemented via a mixture of single operator and multi-operator propositions brought about by commercial agreements and local authority action. Many of the local authorities that want to seize control of buses have plans for new commercial models and payment options when they are in charge.

This will not happen quickly, and in some places it probably won't happen at all unless a future Government makes it a condition of running buses (which would probably be expensive)."

Although smart ticking systems are evidently not an urgent need for companies, those who aware of key industry specific legislation are able to react fast and ensure they are compliant. Embracing technology could be the key to enhancing operations and keeping passengers on board.

CPT concluded with "Operators need to consider the sort of commercial propositions that the new options enable and decide which they want to take part in."