What is smart ticketing ?

Smart ticketing is the name given to the system where an entitlement to travel (or ticket) is stored electronically on a microchip rather than being printed on a paper ticket. In most smart ticketing schemes, the microchip on which a ticket is stored is embedded in a smartcard. For this reason, smart ticketing schemes are often known as smartcard schemes, although there is much more to the scheme than just the smart card.

Smart ticketing uses the Government backed ITSO specification to allow seamless travel between, and within, cities and regions; and different modes of transport.

The key benefits of smart ticketing include :

- Allowing passengers to load tickets or credit in advance of travel, speeding up boarding times and reducing queuing.

- Fraud and security. Smart tickets are far harder to replicate and can be electronically 'killed' the moment they are reported lost or stolen with any remaining balance refunded.

- Operators will be able to run their own loyalty schemes and offer ticket types to suit individual customers' needs.

- Joining up services through using smartcards for other products such as library membership, leisure centre entry, benefit entitlement, parking, bike and car hire, and even lift share arrangements.

Cards currently issued by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (Metro) for senior citizens (60 and over) and disabled customers, are all smart enabled and will work on public transport services fitted with smart ticket machines outside London. Bus operators are expected to start to equip their buses with smart enabled ticket machines in Yorkshire from 2011.

When the new smart ticket machines become operational, all the customer has to do is show their card to the driver (as now) to confirm that they are the same person as the picture on the card. Place the card on or close to the ticket machine. The ticket machine will then read and validate the card. Finally, take the card away from the ticket machine and take a seat and enjoy your journey. It is that easy...