# Smart card systems



## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

The use of a smart card as a method of payment in public transportations is becoming a trend in some major cities such as HK, Singapore or London.

Here are some

Octopus Card (HK)









EZ-Link (Singapore)









Oyster (London)









Suica (Japan)









The Tap Card (Los Angeles)









Other than the cities mentioned, does your city have a similar system?


----------



## nazrey (Sep 12, 2003)

*Touch 'n Go*

The Touch 'n Go or TnG smart card is used by Malaysian toll expressway and highway operators as the sole electronic payment system (EPS). The credit card sized smartcard made of plastic with Philips' MIFARE microchip technology embedded in it. It is the same technology used as electronic payment of Transport for London which is known as Oyster card.

The Touch 'n Go systems are designed to process up to 800 vehicles per hour to ease the queue congestion at toll plazas and if use together with SmartTAG (a non-stop electronic toll collection system), will be able to process up to 1,200 vehicles per hour.

*Card categories*
Prepaid card
A standard Touch 'n Go cards fare structure currently available for adult fare for CTS and standard class vehicles with 2 axles and 3 or 4 wheels (Class 1) excluding taxis for toll fare.










Postpaid cards
Fleet Xs card

It mainly purposed for toll fare payment. The details of company name, vehicle registration number and vehicle class was printed on the card. Credit term of 15 days given for post payment and fleet operators are able to monitor toll record/vehicle movement at highways via e-statement (itemised statement) after 24 to 48 hours from the time of transaction.










Biz Xs card
It is the same as standard card mainly purposed for corporate users.











```
No.	Operator	                                 Service Charge
1	Highways	                                 Nil
2	Public transports (LRT/KTM Komuter)	         Nil
3	Petrol Stations		                         RM0.50
4	Banks – ATMs (users must have an ATM account)	 RM0.50
5	Banks – CDMs (open to all customers)	         RM1.00
6	Third party agents	                         RM0.50
```
Note: 1US=3.8RM


----------



## nazrey (Sep 12, 2003)

Auto-reload card	
Zingcard

The Touch 'n Go Zing is a companion card (works as standard card) that is linked to Visa, MasterCard or American Express issued by participating banks in Malaysia. Each time the card balance falls below RM50, it will trigger the auto-reload mechanism to reload RM100 into the card. The amount will be charged to the credit card plus RM2 as auto-reload fee for each time reload.

Zing card auto-reload facility is currently offered by:
Maybank
Hong Leong Bank
EON Bank
Affin Bank
MBF Cards (A wholly owned subsidiary of MBf Holdings Berhad)


----------



## eusebius (Jan 5, 2004)

National (Netherlands) Public Transport card, still being tried and tested in Rotterdam, due to cover the entire country by 2009. People in Rotterdam have mixed feelings about the card.


----------



## alvse (Oct 18, 2003)

SmartRider is Transperth's new electronic ticketing system that uses smartcard technology incorporating an embedded microchip and an aerial to enable the smartcard to communicate with processors located on board Transperth buses and ferries and at train stations. 




































Transperth is part of the state Government's Public Transport Authority (PTA), and is the brand name through which the Western Australian Government provides public transport services in the Perth metropolitan region. This includes Perth's public buses, trains and ferries.

The Transperth system comprises approximately: 
- 9,600 timetabled services 
- 12,000 bus stops 
- Over 1100 buses 
- 48 two-car train sets 
- 31 three-car train sets (with an additional 15 sets to commence delivery in 2009)
- 2 ferries 
- Over 55 million service kilometres per annum 
- Over 90 million boardings per annum


----------



## Il_Milanese (Jan 31, 2006)

In Milan they put up from this year a smart card pass. You can recharge it every month at the tickets machines in the subway.


----------



## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

Navigo (Paris)


----------



## Skybean (Jun 16, 2004)

No. Toronto is at least 5 years behind most cities in this respect. We still use a combination of monthly pass, tokens, cash and tickets. There is not even enough money to repair the ailing infrastructure in most stations which look like time warps of 30 years ago.... despite increasing fares almost annually. I remember using the Hong Kong Octopus card over ten years ago.


----------



## nazrey (Sep 12, 2003)

> *Touch 'n Go*
> 
> The Touch 'n Go or TnG smart card is used by Malaysian toll expressway and highway operators as the sole electronic payment system (EPS). The credit card sized smartcard made of plastic with Philips' MIFARE microchip technology embedded in it. It is the same technology used as electronic payment of Transport for London which is known as Oyster card.
> 
> ...


by crockgelier










by ariffjrs


----------



## gladisimo (Dec 11, 2006)

SF is experimenting with e cards on BART, I've seen some readers on the turnstiles, but I haven't got a clue how to get one and what the compatibility is.


----------



## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

Interesting, but none of that is needed in Frankfurt as we have an honour system. No gates at train stations, and just hop on or off a bus. Tickets never come out of the pocket or wallet unless an inspector comes along, and they maybe months apart.

The moral of the story? You don't need all that technology if you just trust your passengers.


----------



## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Justme said:


> Interesting, but none of that is needed in Frankfurt as we have an honour system. No gates at train stations, and just hop on or off a bus. Tickets never come out of the pocket or wallet unless an inspector comes along, and they maybe months apart.
> 
> The moral of the story? You don't need all that technology if you just trust your passengers.


It's interesting you should mention that - the whole of Germany uses the honour system on their PT (at least cities I've visited). Apparently studies were done to analyse whether or not they should close the system to prevent fare evasion and it turns out that the difference between fare payers and non-fare payers in the German open system is negligable when compared to other European cities with closed systems.


----------



## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

Svartmetall said:


> It's interesting you should mention that - the whole of Germany uses the honour system on their PT (at least cities I've visited). Apparently studies were done to analyse whether or not they should close the system to prevent fare evasion and it turns out that the difference between fare payers and non-fare payers in the German open system is negligable when compared to other European cities with closed systems.


On the odd occasion that a ticket inspector comes on board a bus or train when I'm on, there is usually one person caught without a ticket and fined. That is one person from maybe 50. That certainly is not a major problem.

It always seems weird to be in another country and have to use tickets and pass through gates. When you are used to no gates, they really become a hassle.

On Frankfurt buses, you just walk on and off without taking your ticket out, quite civilized. The odd thing is, in Berlin I noticed you needed to show your ticket to the bus driver, which is very different to Frankfurt (only after 9pm here).


----------



## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

Bogota uses them for TransMilenio:


----------



## Occit (Jul 24, 2005)

This will be the system in Metro de Caracas that will use a smart card:

Photo by ssc member: kachilapo


----------



## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Closest thing that NY has to a smart card is the ubiquitous MetroCard 










It's not a smart card, however. :lol:

But there is the SmartLink card, which you can use only on the PATH currently. It's designed to eventually be the main card for the Tri-state area (MTA, NJ Transit), but it may be pricey. Estimates for the system for the NYC subway alone would be $300 million.


----------



## Cosmin (Mar 1, 2007)

*Bucharest | Activ smart card*

In Bucharest we have _Activ_ card since 2006 as part of SAT (Sistemul Automat de Taxare/Automatic Taxation System). It uses RFID technology (so it's a smart card) and is currently valid on overground means of transportation (RATB) and on the metro (Metrorex). Could be extended to national rail (CFR), private operators and so on... but I just wish the morons would move faster with it's implementation.


















*Btw, do you guys get validation errors with your cards? Sometimes I have to repet validation... it's quite sensitive.*


----------



## Tuscani01 (Nov 24, 2005)

Currently being tested in the Greater Toronto Area (Between Mississauga and Union Station in T.O)

Presto


----------



## Shado (Apr 16, 2003)

10ROT said:


> Closest thing that NY has to a smart card is the ubiquitous MetroCard
> 
> It's not a smart card, however. :lol:


Ah yes, in my visit to NY I bought one, it did not work. The line to get them replaced was long so I ended up just buying another. I can see why it's in their interest to have them not very reliable.

Here we have a system that is supposed to be completely rolled out by March, which is about time, the system was ordered in late *2003 !!!* I cannot believe how incompetent the people installing it must be to be having issues with it over 4 years later, it's not as if it's a world first system.


----------



## phattonez (Sep 14, 2006)

People have been complaining a lot about the TAP Cards that are about to rollout to the public soon. Some see it as a ploy to implement distance based fares and fare gates, that it will slow down bus boarding times (instead of just flashing a monthly pass, the TAP will have to be TAPped), that it will require expensive card readers for police doing random checks, and is just used in order to track riders. 

There was a pretty good discussion about it on one of LA's Transit Blogs. 
http://metrorider.elhay.net/2007/12/03/the-tap-card-untapped/


----------



## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Implementing smartcards in Dutch public transportation seems to be turning out to a disaster. The cards can easily be hacked, so people private information is readable for everyone, and people can travel for free easily. 

It's like we always like to invent the wheel ourselves while convenient systems already exists in other parts of the world hno:


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

^^
Tell me about it! The same is often the case for Sweden (not that smart cards are available here yet though - except for tests in parts of Stockholm and Malmö metro areas).


----------



## SEQ92 (Jul 14, 2006)

The smart card in SEQ, recently named the "Go Card" was meant to be up and running by July 1, 2004 when Translink was formed... it never happened so the timeframe was extended to 2005, then 2006, then 2007, then December 31, 2007 at 11:59:59PM it was meant to be ready, IT WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR and now its not going to be up until February or March, possibly April!

It is a complete joke, and when it comes out noone will use it, as it is more of an impediment than a bonus. I certainly won't, as it offers no replacement to the current 10 trip saver tickets that I currently use, which provide a $1.08 trip, but with the go card it would be the ordinary cost of $1.40 as I only use PT a maximum of 5 times a week >> once an afternoon.

Oh and not to mention the new ticket sale machines installed on buses keep failing so some drivers just give everyone a free ride, which is no doubt costing the system millions upon millions of dollars.

Oh, and then they think its ok to create a new 137 route, almost identical to Brisbane's most used bus route, and then let it hog up resources with articulated buses, but of course noone will use it as its a prepaid route, and the Go Card system won't be up by Feb 8 or so when the route starts, and considering there are no ticket sale machines in the suburbs, I can't see anyone using it but people with 10 trip savers. 

Politicians here really don't know how to properly plan and implement major public investments and projects.


----------



## bhopalus (Jan 21, 2008)

Delhi Metro (as of 2002)

Front









Back









Roopesh Kohad - http://members.tripod.com/roopesh_kohad/IR/delhimetro.html


----------



## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

The NY metro area has the *Smartlink* which works on the NJ PATH system. Is it now working on other public transpo such as the NY subway?


----------



## Taipei Walker (Mar 7, 2005)

Taipei has Easy Card
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EasyCard


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

WANCH said:


> The NY metro area has the *Smartlink* which works on the NJ PATH system. Is it now working on other public transpo such as the NY subway?


*MTA To Test New Smart-Card Technology On Subways*
Jan 27, 2008
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=59872

New York City had subway tokens for generations, but NY1 has learned the MTA has quietly begun rolling out new technology that could mean the beginning of the end for the MetroCard. NY1’s Bobby Cuza filed this exclusive report. 

It's a move that for most New Yorkers has become second nature, but the MetroCard swipe - like the token before it - may already be endangered now that smart-card technology is being installed for the first time in the city's subways. 

The technology has long been championed by transit advocates like Beverly Dolinsky of the New York City Transit Riders Council. 

“A customer doesn't have to bother with a swipe. They don't have to put it in the fare box on the bus. You can leave it - it depends on the type you use - you can leave it in your pocket," said Dolinsky. 

The technology was recently introduced on the PATH train, and beginning in July, will be part of a limited pilot program on the subways, available only to select Citibank MasterCard cardholders, and only at about 25 stations: All Lexington Avenue line stations between 138th Street and Bowling Green, plus Jay Street-Borough Hall in Brooklyn, and 23rd St.-Ely Avenue in Queens. 

Last week, New York City Transit quietly began installing card readers, one at each set of turnstiles. 

“Anything that makes things faster is much better,” said one straphanger. “A MetroCard is just another thing to look for." 

“I love the idea that I don't have to deal with trying to get a MetroCard, as I did this morning, because it turned into being a hassle,” said another subway rider. “On the other hand, we have to trust the MTA is going to get it right and not charge me $20 instead of $2." 

Those in the program will get the same discount offered to regular MetroCard customers - six rides for the price of five. But you won't be able to use the cards on buses, which aren't yet outfitted with the new technology. 

Those in the program also won't have unlimited ride options, like a weekly or monthly pass. 

Still, however limited, the trial is being underwritten by CitiGroup and MasterCard, which makes this one technology the MTA can afford to experiment with. 

- Bobby Cuza


----------



## Dan (Jun 16, 2007)

staff said:


> ^^
> Tell me about it! The same is often the case for Sweden (not that smart cards are available here yet though - except for tests in parts of Stockholm and Malmö metro areas).


Well the Stockholm one was done by an Australian company but they screwed it up and now it's months late and still not working properly (though all the validation machines etc are already in place).


----------



## meow (Mar 1, 2005)

*IZMIR Kentkart* (=city card)










Kentkart has been managing ”Automatic Fare Collection with Contactless Smart Cards” in Izmir since 15th March 1999, and has integrated two public bus operators, a ferryboat and a metro operator into the system in the borders of Izmir Municipality.

The population of the city is 3,5 million and 2,4 million Izmir inhabitants are using Kentkart.
http://www.kentkart.com/web/default.aspx


----------



## kell0F0F (Apr 7, 2005)

[/IMG]


nazrey said:


> *Touch 'n Go*
> 
> The Touch 'n Go or TnG smart card is used by Malaysian toll expressway and highway operators as the sole electronic payment system (EPS). The credit card sized smartcard made of plastic with Philips' MIFARE microchip technology embedded in it. It is the same technology used as electronic payment of Transport for London which is known as Oyster card.
> 
> ...












SmartTAG, is an on-board unit (OBU) vehicle-based device used as an electronic toll collection (ETC) system over long distances (maximum 15 metres) to complement Touch 'n Go, a card-based system. It was first introduced in Malaysia in 1999 and is also used as an Entrance Access Security. SmartTAG was designed, developed and manufactured as an extension of the Touch 'n Go System.

Built on a non-stop Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) philosophy, SmartTAG incorporated infra-red communication that communicated with infra-red transceivers mounted at the ceilings of toll plazas to allow vehicle drivers to drive through SmartTAG dedicated lanes and pay toll without stopping. It is designed to process up to 1,200 vehicles per hour.

Among benefits of SmartTAG are:

*SmartTAG is eco-friendly because human exposure to laser transmission is safe and does not cause interference to the communication zone. 
*Transaction time of SmartTAG is faster than Touch 'n Go. 
*Users can drive non-stop pass toll plaza in normal speed. 
*Slotting the Touch 'n Go card in the SmartTAG unit will enable the cardholder to know the card balance when the card is slotted in the SmartTAG. 

The SmartTAG, is placed on the windscreen using a mounting arm, which can be adjusted according to the angle of the windscreen. When the Touch 'n Go card is fully inserted into the SmartTAG device, the display panel shows the current credit balance in the Touch 'n Go card and the battery level for a few seconds. Users can fix the SmartTAG device anywhere on the windscreen. However, it works best if placed near the centre of the vehicle windscreen.

The Touch 'n Go card must be fully inserted into the SmartTAG unit before use. The SmartTAG lane has a speed limit of 40km/h.

The SmartTAG will emit a beep sound when transaction is successful and the automatic lane barrier will open. At the exit toll plaza, toll fare will be deducted from the Touch 'n Go card. The toll fare and the new remaining balance will be shown on the Toll Fare Indicator (TFI) at the toll lanes.

The SmartTAG, system also allow flexibility of usage. At toll plazas where SmartTAG lanes are not available, users only need to enter the Touch 'n Go lane, pull out the Touch 'n Go card from the SmartTAG and simply 'TOUCH' the card at the reader.

In other words, the usage of SmartTAG and Touch 'n Go is interchangeable where the driver can first enter the expressway using SmartTAG lane and later exit using Touch 'n Go card through a Touch 'n Go lane.


----------



## nazrey (Sep 12, 2003)

Excellent! :cheers:

*"Touch 'n Go - Best Among The Best"*
3rd April 2009
Source: http://www.touchngo.com.my/MediaCentre_PressRelease_20090403.html










Kuala Lumpur, 31st March 2009 – Touch ‘n Go Sdn. Bhd. added another milestone when they were crowned as the Best Brand In The Electronic Payment Card 2008-2009 by *BrandLaureate, the sobriquet for the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation (APBF) Brand Excellence Awards* at The BrandLaureate Awards 2009 Gala Dinner held at Shangri-La Hotel.

The award presentation was bestowed by the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi to Puan Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan, Managing Director of Touch ‘n Go Sdn. Bhd.

In the Electronic Payment Cards Category, nominations came from major players in the credit card, debit card and prepaid card industry. After few selection processes, Touch ‘n Go were chosen as the Best Brand based on its strong brand breakthrough from toll to areas of lifestyle services which is retail and parking.

The selection committee noted Touch ‘n Go has been able to uphold its brand performance with revenue growth in millions of cards issued yearly. The brand has also worked on improving its services and delivery system. A strong brand strategy with a low attrition rate compared to other electronic payment cards in the industry has made Touch ‘n Go as the preferred electronic payment in the country.

“This award has made us a step ahead especially in materializing the national electronic payment agenda besides being the preferred customer brand choice. It is indeed an award of appreciation to all Touch ‘n Go team and Service Providers for their keen and utmost support for us along the way to success”, said Hasni Zarina.

“Touch ‘n Go is a great card to have while you’re on the go for easier, faster and hassle-free payments and with this Best Brand Award, it is now time to transform Touch ‘n Go into a lifestyle oriented card for all Malaysians”, she added.


----------



## nazrey (Sep 12, 2003)

Source: http://www.touchngo.com.my/


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Puget transit agencies share ORCA fare card *
20 April 2009
Associated Press Newswires










Web : http://www.orcacard.com

SEATTLE (AP) - Starting Monday, seven transit agencies in the Puget Sound area begin using a common electronic fare card called ORCA or One Regional Card for All.

Riders can use the smart card on any bus, train or ferry operated by Metro Transit, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit and Washington State Ferries.

The cards can be loaded with up to $300. Passengers tap the card on an electronic reader that automatically deducts the fare.

Users can go online to add money and manage their account.


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*EU raids smart card chip makers looking for proof of price fixing cartel *
7 January 2009

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Infineon, STMicro and NXP said Wednesday they were among several chip makers raided by EU antitrust investigators seeking evidence of a cartel that fixed the prices of chips for bank and identity smart cards.

The European Commission said it launched surprise raids on the offices of smart card chip manufacturers in several European nations on Oct. 21.

It did not name the companies but said it had reason to believe they had violated EU rules that outlaw price-fixing, customer sharing and swapping commercially sensitive information.

Germany-based Infineon Technologies AG confirmed that it had been visited. Spokesman Kay Laudien said the company would "fully contribute to clarifying" regulators' queries.

NXP, formerly the semiconductor arm of Royal Philips Electronics NV, said it had been quizzed by antitrust officials and was cooperating with the investigation.

Switzerland-based STMicroelectronics NV also confirmed that regulators had visited their offices.

Regulators said the raids did not mean the companies were guilty and the companies would have a chance to defend themselves before the EU decides on charges.

Antitrust fines can run as high as 10 percent of a company's global turnover for each year that it broke the law -- often landing businesses with multimillion euro penalties.

Smart card chips are used in telephone cards, bank cards, social security and identity cards.


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Much added value in store for innovation *
26 June 2009
South China Morning Post

The chief executive has announced a series of development strategies to enhance the six economic areas in which Hong Kong has enjoyed a clear advantage, including the innovation and technology sectors, and creative industries.

The government has a four-pronged strategy to promote the development of innovation and technology: first, establishing a first-class technology infrastructure; second, funding applied research and development projects; third, promoting a culture of innovation and; fourth, enhancing technological co-operation with the mainland.

Over the last 10 years, the government has invested more than HK$10 billion to support the development of innovation and technology. As part of the infrastructure necessary, the government has supported the establishment of the Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, as well as five R&D centres. We have also funded more than 1,400 R&D projects through the Innovation and Technology Fund.

With such encouragement, total R&D expenditure in Hong Kong rose 46 per cent, from HK$8.5 billion in 2003 to HK$12.4 billion in 2007, while the number of R&D personnel also grew by almost 40 per cent in the same period. Unfortunately, R&D expenditure by the commercial sector accounts for only roughly half the total, falling behind the 70 per cent average of other developed countries. To encourage the private sector to increase its investment, the government will look at financial or tax incentives.

Successful R&D requires close collaboration between government, academic institutions and the R&D centres, as well as the private sector. This month I visited the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences at the Mission Bay Campus of the University of California in San Francisco. The campus has developed as a world-class biotechnology cluster under a public-private partnership model. I was told the funding support it receives from the private sector is 10 times more than its operational resources. US companies have a fine tradition of investing in R&D in co-operation with academic institutions. I hope Hong Kong enterprises can emulate their US counterparts to build our long-term competitiveness.

The pursuit of R&D is undoubtedly a long-term endeavour, requiring a great deal of manpower and resources. However, successful commercialisation of projects can bring about tremendous business returns and economic benefit. The key is creativity. *The Octopus card we use every day is a good example of the creative application of the existing technology of radio frequency identification. Our success has attracted the attention of Britain, The Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates to model their own stored-value cards on the Octopus.*

We are not simply talking about straightforward technology development. Hong Kong prides itself on innovative technology development. Our design talent has won international recognition; our entrepreneurs are respected around the world. Now, if we combine these skills with those of our first-class researchers, I believe Hong Kong can become a centre for research excellence in China and the region.

Hong Kong's creative industries employ over 170,000 people and contribute more than HK$60 billion in terms of value added to our gross domestic product annually.

Our creative talent must be allowed to showcase itself. To support these efforts, the HK$300 million CreateSmart Initiative has been created, and we are inviting applications for projects which support the development of creative industries.

We also set up CreateHK to support creative industries. Its work will include assisting small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals to build up their brands on the mainland and overseas. Under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, the government will continue to assist different sectors to access the mainland market.

Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan is secretary for commerce and economic development


----------



## Mr_Dru (Dec 15, 2008)

*The Netherlands OV-Chipkaart (Public Transportation Chipcard)*

With the OV-chipkaart you can travel anywhere within The Netherlands.
Should be launched nationwide in The Netherlands in 2008! But still there are many technical problems. 

All public transport companies in The Netherlands are going to implement the OV-chipkaart system. The companies listed below are busy with (preparations for) the introduction. 

•*Arriva:* bus and train
•*Connexxion:* bus, tram, ferry and train
•*GVB Amsterdam:* bus, metro and tram 
•*HTM The Hague:* bus, (pre)metro and tram
•*NS:* train
•*RET Rotterdam:* bus, metro, ferry and tram
•*Veolia:* bus and train

The others companies will follow soon.

Check in, check out. At the start of your journey, you check in at the gate by holding your OV-chipkaart up to the screen. The sound and light signal indicates your card has been read. If you do not have a specific product on your card and, therefore, pay for your journey using the OV-chipkaart e-purse, a boarding rate will be deducted when you check in. The credit on your OV-chipkaart should be at least the boarding rate or you will not be allowed to go through the gate. In 2008, the boarding rate is €4 (four euro).

At that end of your journey, you check out by holding your card up to the gate screen. The sound and light signal once again indicates that your card has been read. If you are traveling using the OV-chipkaart e-purse, the actual travel costs, based on the distance travelled, minus the boarding rate is deducted from or added to the e-purse.









Since years most railway/metrostations already have installed the gates. Since a couple of months only the metro-gates in Rotterdam are in service. The Amsterdam metro-gates are in service since 3 june '09.









I quess since one or two years every busses in the Netherlands has installed the check-in devices, but most companies didn't introduce the card yet.









Again the Dutch facing a lot of problems with an prestige-project!


----------



## Htay9500 (Nov 14, 2008)

In the Washington DC area, we use something called the smartrip card:


----------



## nazrey (Sep 12, 2003)

kell0F0F said:


> SmartTAG, is an on-board unit (OBU) vehicle-based device used as an electronic toll collection (ETC) system over long distances (maximum 15 metres) to complement Touch 'n Go, a card-based system. It was first introduced in Malaysia in 1999 and is also used as an Entrance Access Security. SmartTAG was designed, developed and manufactured as an extension of the Touch 'n Go System.
> 
> Built on a non-stop Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) philosophy, SmartTAG incorporated infra-red communication that communicated with infra-red transceivers mounted at the ceilings of toll plazas to allow vehicle drivers to drive through SmartTAG dedicated lanes and pay toll without stopping. It is designed to process up to 1,200 vehicles per hour.
> 
> ...


Touch ‘n Go ~ SmartTAG 












> >


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Contactless Cards Making Inroads on Transit Systems *
9 June 2009
American Banker

Consumers' preference for using cards instead of cash is prompting transit authorities nationwide to install fare systems that accept contactless payment cards.

Several officials say they prefer contactless to traditional, magnetic-stripe readers because the technology offers faster transaction processing when people board buses and enter train systems.

The Allegheny County Transit Authority, in Pennsylvania, is planning to introduce a proprietary, closed-loop system by the end of 2010, according to authority spokeswoman Judi McNeil. "People in general are so used to using credit and debit cards now, it's going to be a seamless transition," she said.

Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, will join such cities as Chicago and Washington in offering commuters a closed-loop transit card. All three cities are also exploring the option of letting commuters pay transit fares using bank-issued contactless credit and debit cards.

Some agencies, including Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco, are testing mobile-phone payment systems, using near-field communication technology within the handset that can transmit transaction data to readers and receive information such as coupons. However, observers said that phones with NFC components will not be widely available for at least a year and possible longer.

In February the Utah Transit Authority became the first U.S. transit agency to roll out an open-network fare-collection system. Commuters can use contactless credit and debit cards that use Visa Inc.'s payWave or MasterCard Worldwide's PayPass technology to pay their fares.

New York has been testing acceptance of open-loop contactless cards since 2006 with Citigroup Inc.; the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently concluded the first phase of that test. In a letter sent last month to trial participants, Citi said it switched off the system in May in preparation for the test's second phase. The letter did not say when the second phase will begin.

Washington's Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is considering the use of open-loop contactless cards. In May the authority's finance committee announced plans to solicit proposals to develop other contactless payment technology besides closed-loop cards, including bank-issued cards.

The agency expects to review proposals this summer, though it has set no deadline for adopting a new fare system.

The Chicago Transit Authority is also considering the use of open-loop contactless cards.

The major card companies are closely monitoring the various initiatives, said Peter Quadagno, the founder of the West Chester, Pa., card technology consulting firm Quadagno & Associates.

"Visa and MasterCard have been hovering around transit for a long time now," he said.

Both card companies are testing open-loop transit payment systems, MasterCard Inc. in New York and Visa Inc. in Los Angeles, he said. The larger transit systems "are moving to a model that may result in bank-issued cards becoming the vehicle of choice."

Allegheny County is exploring potential partnerships that would let local merchants accept its card as payment for goods and services, a scheme similar to the Octopus card in Hong Kong. This option would help the transit agency create another revenue stream, said McNeil, its spokeswoman.

However, this option may not be well-suited for a small system such as Allegheny County's, Quadagno said. Local merchants in large cities such as New York and London would probably be more interested in accepting closed-loop contactless transit cards than in a smaller place such as Allegheny County.

"If you have a couple hundred thousand holding a card in [a smaller city], I don't know how much of a market that is," he said. "How many people in Pittsburgh use transit?" (More than 69,000 daily commuters use the authority's three bus lines and 25-mile light-rail system, according to the agency's Web site.)

Allegheny County also believes a new system could help combat the fraudulent paper transit passes that are often used with the current system. "With the advances in computer technology, it's very easy to create a fraudulent pass and use it on the system," McNeil said.

In May the transit agency told its contractor, Scheidt & Bachmann USA Inc., to begin upgrading buses' fare boxes. The authority, whose light-rail system is called the T, is to do a pilot test early next year involving company employees, transit advisory members and possibly University of Pittsburgh students, McNeil said.

The county gained some first-hand experience with smart card systems this year when transit officials visited Atlanta, Boston and Washington, McNeil said. "They told us to keep it simple," she said. "A couple of them said they really over-designed their system." For example, the Washington transit authority introduced acceptance of its closed-loop system in phases, which confused some customers, she said.

Its main difficulty was changing consumer behavior, a transit authority representative wrote in an e-mail message. The agency has introduced its SmarTrip fare card system, though commuters still can use cash, bus tokens and passes and paper rail fare cards.

The authority has encouraged riders to use the cards by staging sales events at Metro stations.

Allegheny County is planning a similar strategy, McNeil said. The authority will use local media and send direct mailings to promote the new system.

"Once people see how easy it's going to be, they are really going to like this system," she said.

Will Hernandez is the associate editor of ATM&Debit News.


----------

