Smart card breakthrough in Bolton
Bolton Council launch the UK’s first multi-purse smart card with an ITSO enabled pay-as-you-go travel purse.
Bolton, 28 September 2009 – The first multi-purse smart card with an ITSO (*) enabled pay-as-you-go travel purse has been launched in Bolton as a result of a successful partnership between Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), Bolton Council, Arriva buses, Parkeon, ACT and sQuid - the eMoney payments network.
Applied Card Technologies Ltd (ACT) has an impressive track record in the design, development, installation and operation of smart card transaction systems. Its pioneering products coupled with superior service create dependable solutions for retail and hospitality, transport, and tourism markets worldwide. ACT developed a number of the technology components for the pay-as-you-go travel purse service, leveraging its own smartcard and transaction systems expertise as well as providing expertise to facilitate seamless integration between the ACT provided HOPS and the sQuid service.
ACT Project Manager, David Robinson said “ACT is delighted to have been involved in Bolton’s multi-purse smart card project. This scheme demonstrates the benefit of exploiting smart card technology to provide multiple services on a single card”.
The multi-purse smart card, which enables card holders to access Council services, use an eMoney retail purse and ITSO enabled pay-as-you-go bus travel purse, is a significant breakthrough and a UK first.
Card holders can now pay for bus travel on over 30 Arriva bus routes in Bolton with their card, in addition to accessing Council services and shopping at local participating stores. Children in Bolton with the Council issued BSmart card can now easily pay for their bus journey to school, entrance to a leisure centre, pay for a snack, take a book out at the library and then get the bus home, without ever needing to carry cash. Parents can top up their child’s card online and view their transactions should they want to.
The pay-as-you-go transit purse has been specially adapted by sQuid to work on any ITSO smart card and provides a secure platform for customers and operators to make electronic transactions.
“The addition of a transit purse on our Council issued smart cards is an added value service to our community” said Councilor Linda Thomas of Bolton Council.
This is something not even Transport for London’s Oyster card has been able to achieve, but has been successfully launched in Bolton to better understand the potential for a wider rollout in Manchester as part of the overall fares and ticketing strategy.
“This is an exciting development in the smart card journey,” says Phil Stone, MD Arriva North West. “For the first time ever, passengers will be able to make online top ups to ITSO cards for pay-as-you-go travel on Arriva buses in Bolton. It adds a completely new level of flexibility to bus travel.”
The project has been led by GMPTE and Bolton Council who are supporting the Government strategy for smart ticketing. Councilor Keith Whitmore, Chairman of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority says “This is part of GMITA’s aspiration to make public transport integrated, attractive and easier to use. An effective, efficient and reliable smart ticketing system is a key element of achieving this aim.”
* ITSO is an organisation, which has set about creating a common specification and suitable standards between UK Passenger Transport Authorities for inter-operable smart card ticketing.
Bolton smart card partners
GMPTE
GMPTE (Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive) implements the policies of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority. The Authority is responsible for overseeing the provision of public transport in the county and is made up of 33 Councilors from the ten Councils in Greater Manchester.
www.gmpte.com
Bolton Council
The council works with local authorities through the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan to improve transport across the region.
www.bolton.gov.uk
Arriva
Arriva is one of the largest private sector providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing more than 44,000 people and providing more than one billion passenger journeys across 12 European Countries every year. Arriva plc has placed orders for its UK bus business which will see more than 500 new vehicles come into service during 2009.The buses, representing an investment of some £70 million, are being deployed across the group’s UK businesses in North East and North West England, the Midlands, South East and Southern England, Scotland, Wales and London.
www.arriva.co.uk
www.arrivabus.co.uk
Parkeon
World leader in integrated ticketing systems for buses, Parkeon has created the intelligent console for drivers, an innovative concept that allows the integration and management of all on-board functions, such as ticketing, video surveillance or geo-localisation. Parkeon has already supplied more than 400 000 sets of ticketing equipment and peripheral devices, thus becoming the biggest supplier of bus systems in the world.
www.parkeon.com
ACT
Applied Card Technologies Ltd (ACT) is an independent UK company specialising in the design, development, installation and operation of smart card transaction systems. It provides solutions to the Retail and Hospitality, Transport, and Tourism markets worldwide. www.card.co.uk
sQuid
sQuid is the next-generation smart card payments network for ‘the little things in life’. Its unique pre-pay system enables multi-functional smart cards, combining: eMoney retail payments, ITSO (Transit) schemes, council smart card initiatives (such as Bolton’s BSmart and cashless school dinners), plus retail loyalty programmes (like Coffee Republic’s loyalty card). Unlike banks’ credit and debit cards, sQuid offers universal access to smart card payments, becoming the leading next-generation payment platform in the UK, with ambitious plans to launch eMoney and transit schemes in developing countries, including Africa and India.
www.squidcard.com/travel
Read the article on the sQuid website
