RFID-based contactless ticketing for mass transit

(09/10/2006)

Innovision Research & Technology has released a new white paper on smart ticketing for mass transit. Entitled 'Smart ticketing for mass transit – profitable applications for low-cost, RFID-based contactless ticketing', the paper is the follow up to the company’s smart ticketing white paper launched last year at UITP in Rome.

While the first one outlined the global opportunities being created by low-cost contactless ticketing for mass transit, the new white paper looks at the key applications in which low-cost smart ticketing will deliver real benefits for travellers, operators, authorities and agencies.

The white paper outlines the ‘new tickets to ride’ which will replace traditional magnetic stripe paper tickets and fill the gap between more costly RFID smartcards which are ideal for period and concession passes. With the cost of RFID chips falling below 0.10 Euros, they are commercially viable across virtually any mass ticketing application – including short-period validity tickets, stored value tickets and park-and-ride.

The paper closely examines a number of mass transit applications in which low cost smart tickets are already deployed or currently in trials, including:
- Carnet: preloaded with multiple fares of the same value
- Multi-leg: ideal for passengers on trips which involve two or more transit operators who do not wish to purchase separate tickets for each leg of the journey
- Period passes: allowing unlimited travel in a particular zone for a specified period
- Multiple product: offering travel and other products on a single ticket, such as park-and-ride or event/attraction entry as well as travel
- Entitlement: where it does not justify a full smart card but low-cost alternative, such as student, senior citizen or job-seeker concessionary fare schemes or limited –period staff travel
- Single journeys: for premium applications such as airport express tickets

For transit operators, the benefits of smart ticketing are also reiterated in the white paper. Contactless smart tickets will do away with the need for mechanical terminals, minimising costs associated with malfunction, misuse and maintenance. They will also cut down on printing and distribution costs, improve cash-flow, reduce boarding times, and perhaps more importantly for operators, reduce cash handling risks and minimise the potential for fraud.

“A year ago, we needed to educate operators and the transport community about key issues like cost, technology and standards, as well as how they could best capitalise on the benefits of smart ticketing,” explains David Wollen, CEO of Innovision Research & Technology. “Now we are taking it a step further and addressing the true benefits of low-cost contactless ticketing to the much wider travelling public.

“The need for flexible and integrated ticketing is more relevant today than ever before – work/life patterns are changing. Increasingly, people need to travel at different times of the day, on certain days of the week and on multi-leg journeys with different operators. What passengers are looking for is faster, more convenient and more cost-effective ways to travel, opening up a range of single, reuseable and limited-use smart ticketing applications.”

“For operators, low-cost contactless ticketing can provide much more than this” adds David Wollen. “Smart ticketing systems can provide operators with valuable data on ticket types used, travel patterns and passenger preferences – leading to better allocation of resources, more efficient timetabling, reduced delays, improved passenger safety and more opportunities for targeted marketing, such as customer loyalty schemes.”

This white paper ‘Smart ticketing for mass transit part II – profitable applications for low-cost, RFID-based contactless ticketing’ is now available from Innovision via email or from their website.

Related topics:  Access Control   Security industry   Security market sectors 

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