The improvement of the passenger public transport and of the quality of this service is a key factor for obtaining sustainable urban development from the social, economic and environmental points of view. A public transport which the citizens would appreciate and use without thinking about the individual alternative can be obtained by different means depending on the local context, financial resources and national and local policies.
While some time ago we have referred to a public transport system as being efficient as long as we benefited from the tramway, the underground, potentially the bus and their correlation – at present we wish an efficient public transport which could offer us integrated ticketing solutions. Of course we want it to reduce the time we spend in traffic as much as possible.
The basis for fares should be transparent and easy to understand. Tickets and payment facilities should be widely available, for example sales points distributed throughout the city, ticket vending machines at various places (park and ride stations, main bus stops or on-board), on the internet (subscription for smart card holders) and via mobile phones.
Integrated ticketing and tariff policies between different public transport operators (local public transport and the national railway) should be offered to make tickets valid for all public transport modes and for a whole region. Easy and attractive payment methods should be offered. For example, innovative smart card systems can be implemented, which can be used for contactless payment of integrated fares. They may also serve as an important element of public transport marketing. Smart payments can also provide valuable data on the behaviour and mobility patterns of users.
Many potential benefits from public transport ticketing measures were explored during CIVITAS II, a project which benefits from the support of the European Union.
The ease and convenience of the purchase permitted by innovative ticketing systems in a city should attract more public transport passengers, resulting in fewer private cars entering the urban area. The accessibility of public transport in ge-
neral is enhanced with the introduction of a ticket valid for all types of services and vehicles.
Costs vary greatly depending on the type of the implemented system, on the number of ticket vending/validation machines, as well as on the number of vehicles which must be equipped with the new technologies. Nevertheless, we must consider costs categories such as the costs for the specification and the development of a new ticketing system (consultant, involvement of transport operators), software for integrated ticketing systems (for connecting the systems of different operators, instrument based on the internet for subscriptions, software for the user with an interface that is easy to understand), equipments for vehicles, stops and stations (antennae, ticket vending machines, ticket validation machines) and maintenance costs of equipments.
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