22.11.13
South Yorkshire ready for smart ticketing
Smart ticketing is to be introduced in Yorkshire, the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) has announced.
An integrated system for multi-operator smart ticketing will allow passengers to use a single electronic card across public transport in the area. All the English National Concession Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passes are now ready to use as smartcards and tram conductors have been equipped with hand held devices to verify tickets.
Annual TravelMasters tickets will start to be sold as smart tickets during November and will be accepted on buses, Supertram and train services. The roll-out of smart ticketing will continue throughout 2014, with the aim to allow passengers to buy tickets from their mobile phones and via kiosks across South Yorkshire.
SYPTE interim deputy director general, David Young, said: “We take very seriously our responsibility to continue to improve travel for the people of South Yorkshire and the introduction of smart ticketing will revolutionise the way that passengers pay for their transport needs.
“It’s our customers that matter to us the most so we are taking care to ensure these products meet their needs, therefore we want to make sure each development is operating to its full potential before we expand the complexity, so a phased roll out is the most appropriate approach.
“The introduction of this new technology demonstrates SYPTE’s commitment to making travel easier and more convenient for customers and we hope it will encourage even more people to give public transport a go. This, in turn, will help reduce congestion and carbon emissions and help deliver a better transport system for the whole county.”
TravelMaster chairman, Duncan Roberts, said: “This marks the important first step along a path which we have been developing since the Yorcard Pilot and heralds new opportunities for ticketing. As other operators adopt smart equipment in the next few months we will convert a range of products to smart format and be able to look at enhancing the TravelMaster range and opportunities to purchase them.”
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) announced the beginning of their smart ticketing scheme this Monday.
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