PUBLIC TRANSPORT APPLICATIONS OF PAYMENT SYSTEMS

After outlining the structure of public transport in the UK, this paper gives a detailed description of prepayment systems and technologies used with public transport in the UK. Prepayment has advantages for marketing, operations and accounting. A prepayment system can attract customers to buses by its convenience and use of discounted fares, but competition can erode prepayment. Prepaid tickets can speed up bus services, and reduce the amount of cash carried on buses. Prepayment, especially electronic funds transfer, can improve cashflow. Prepaid ticket types include period tickets and multi-journey tickets. During the 1980s, most operators have replaced their mechanical ticket issuing systems by electronic systems. Several forms of machine-readable tickets have been developed. Magnetic stripe cards have been widely used outside the UK for several years, but much less in the UK. Though most British Rail tickets have magnetic stripes, they are only used automatically to activate gates on the London Underground. Smartcards are used on many transport systems around the world. The most notable example in the UK is their use on the Milton Keynes bus network. Contactless smartcards, using magnetic induction, are being tested in Manchester and London. The paper suggests some possible future developments, including a genuine 'hands-free' approach. For the covering abstract see IRRD 869053.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02679728
• Corporate Authors:

  PTRC Education and Research Services Limited

  Glenthorne House, Hammersmith Grove
  London W6OL9,   England 
• Authors:
  • MCALLISTER, I
• Publication Date: 1993

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 20 p.
• Serial:
  • PTRC TRAFFEX 93 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. SEMINAR ON TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND ROAD SAFETY, TUESDAY 20 APRIL 1993, NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM
  • Publisher: PTRC Education and Research Services Limited
  • ISSN: 0267-9728

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic control; Automation; Data collection; Payment; Public transit; Tariffs; Telecommunications
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 3882: Automatic; 8623: Data acquisition; 272: Payment; 744: Public transport; 241: Tariff; 9117: Telecommunication; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Finance; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00676366
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Apr 12 1995 12:00AM