Improving public transport ticketing through smart cards

The use of an electronic smart card as an alternative means for users to access and pay for transport services is now emerging as a viable option for many operators. With the recent introduction of the Oyster smart card by Transport for London and the plans by a number of passenger transport executives and transport operators to launch smart-card ticketing, the UK is on the verge of an influx of transport and local authority-led smart-card schemes. Interoperability between schemes is being tackled by ITSO (the Integrated Transport Smart-card Organisation) which will deliver a final version of a national specification for transport smart cards in early 2004. This paper examines what smart cards are, why smart cards are now being widely adopted, and finally will consider their benefits and impact on the public transport industry.