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Subject: Hertfordshire’s Smartcard expands beyond public transport origins Janet Taylor, Sales and Marketing Manager, ERG Transit Systems (UK) and Spencer Robeson, Hertfordshire County Council |
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Author: This next phase will enable interoperability between the Hertfordshire and LT Prestige schemes |
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Date Posted: Friday, May 02, 07:28:09am In reply to: One trial involved one group of routes between Wakefield and Dewsbury operated by the Arriva Group. 's message, "West Yorkshire Trials (1996/1998)Smartcards offering stored value passes and First Group is now extending travelcards throughout Bradford on a commercial basis with local and national launches during April 2000." on Friday, May 02, 07:18:20am Hertfordshire’s Smartcard expands beyond public transport origins Janet Taylor, Sales and Marketing Manager, ERG Transit Systems (UK) and Spencer Robeson, Hertfordshire County Council ----------------------------------------------------------- Hertfordshire County Council has responsibility for a range of public services across the whole of the county. It works with central government, its district councils and other local organisations to help improve and deliver a range of local services to more than a million people, who live, work and travel in the county. ----------------------------------------------------------- In 1997 a partnership agreement was signed between Hertfordshire County Council, Transmo who have now become part of ERG Transit Systems and the bus operator Arriva. This allowed the introduction of a pilot scheme in the West of Hertfordshire using on bus smart card readers. ----------------------------------------------------------- ERG Transit Systems is part of the ERG Group, which has 22 offices in 14 countries, with the UK office based in Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is a world leader in the development and supply of technologically advanced smartcard systems and services, automated fare collection (AFC) products and systems, and telecommunications products and services. It provides turnkey solutions to customers, from design and manufacture to supply, installation, commissioning and ongoing service and maintenance. ----------------------------------------------------------- In the UK, ERG Transit Systems works with large and small operators, transport authorities and local government to provide AFC products and systems for all modes of transport and using all types of ticket technology. ----------------------------------------------------------- The Hertfordshire Concessionary Fare scheme for the elderly and disabled is administered by the County Council on behalf of the ten district councils of Hertfordshire. The smart card element of the scheme is provided by the Card Services division of ERG Transit Systems on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council. ----------------------------------------------------------- The Herts Smart Scheme demonstrates the use of a low cost multi-application smart card technology, which is aimed at reducing administration and cost when delivering a wide range of Local Authority services including transport. ----------------------------------------------------------- Initially it applied to school transport, allowing children living three miles away from school to have a smart card rather than a cardboard bus pass. The card is coded so that it can only be used for the school journey[A]I would be wary of putting this in. Whilst it is potentially true, the legal situation is that the County Council must provide the facility, whether or not it is used. Consequently, operators will provide the requisite numbers of seats specified by the County Council. ----------------------------------------------------------- The County Council now understand the travel patterns, but I think that any advantage they can take is limited. Scholars were used initially to pump-prime the scheme. It was the only ticket type which the County Council had complete control over, so they could get the readers onto buses as part of the Travelwise initiative to allow operators to then develop their own smart card solutions. For bus operators the pass reduces fraud by identifying journeys for which the pass is unauthorised. School children over the age of fourteen also use a smart card as a means of identifying their entitlement to half fare concession travel. This half fare concession is funded by Hertfordshire County Council and reimbursed using data collected by the smart card transactions on the buses. ----------------------------------------------------------- In April 1998 the scheme was extended to the elderly and disabled concessionary travel. As the card can be read through a purse it can make it easier for those elderly people who lack dexterity to use public transport. There are now over 30,000 smart cards in circulation in the Hertfordshire area. ----------------------------------------------------------- The smart card serves as a method of identification but not as a stored value card with passengers still paying cash fares. Smart cards ensure the accuracy of reimbursement arrangements between local authorities and operators and also enable local authorities to target the concessionary fares budget more effectively. This is particularly important in respect of best value reviews to ensure value for money services. ----------------------------------------------------------- Smart cards are now used to identify eligibility for concessionary travel by scholars, students and the young unemployed who qualify for new deal benefit under the Government’s Welfare to Work programme. Applications on the cards have also been widened to include a range of other uses such as catering and vending – school meals, company restaurants, access control to buildings and parking and a transport card for the University of Hertfordshire. ----------------------------------------------------------- The use of stored value cards for school meals reduces stigma attached to children who qualify for free school meals, as there is now no way of differentiating them from other children. The photograph on the front of the card also acts as a deterrent to bullying. A number of schools in Hertfordshire have now introduced smart cards for pupils which encompass school meals, transport and library tickets. ----------------------------------------------------------- As well as multi-application ERG Transit System’s technology is multi-acceptor and multi-issuer, which means that it can be used across multi-operator transport networks and many different organisations. Leisure centres, County Council and Local Authorities can all issue their own unique cards. ----------------------------------------------------------- This is demonstrated in ‘Travel to work’ card schemes where participating companies issue a smart card to every employee. This has become an important part of their working life as a single card allows bus travel to work or access to the barrier-controlled car park. Inside the building the card is used for access control to offices and secure areas and cashless catering and vending. ----------------------------------------------------------- The Herts Smart Scheme is continuing to develop and expand. Most bus operators across the county have now joined the scheme and work is progressing on the next phase which will address the needs of the district councils adjacent to the Greater London area. This next phase will enable interoperability between the Hertfordshire and LT Prestige schemes and will allow the Hertfordshire scheme to migrate to become ITSO compliant. This will put the Hertfordshire scheme at the forefront of the national transport smart card solution. ----------------------------------------------------------- [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| LT stands for London Transport and Prestige is the name of Cubics London/Oyster | (NT)No name | Friday, May 02, 07:30:49am |
| The Herts Smart Scheme, a partnership between Hertfordshire County Council, Arriva Group and Transmo | 38% inconvenient only renewing at bus stationshttp://www.atco.org.uk/policy/atcosmart.htm | Friday, May 02, 07:44:42am |