All aboard for seamless travel

The widespread deployment of smart ticketing for mass transit has been held back by the technology, and the relatively high costs involved. However, according to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip design specialist,

, with costs falling dramatically, the time has come for transport operators to reassess the benefits of contactless ticketing.

Trevor Crotch-Harvey, Innovision R&T’s smartcard expert and chair of the UK’s industry working group focusing on Low Cost Smart Tickets, will lobby the transport sector at this week’s UITP World Congress in Rome to re-evaluate the business case for smart cards in transport.

Mr Crotch-Harvey, who presents his paper ‘Low Cost Tickets & their impact on the Business Case’ today, June 7 explained: “The industry is demanding low cost Limited Use smart ticketing, but very few are prepared to step up to the mark and fully commit to it.

“Cost has certainly been an issue up to now for low value ticket types such as daily passes or single trip tickets. But recent developments in RFID components and improvements in silicon chip manufacturing are rapidly driving down the unit cost, to the extent that it should no longer be a major concern.”