Finland has several operational smart card based public transport fare payment systems and multi-application city card systems. Implementation of, for instance, a fare payment system has a direct effect on ticket sales and clearing activities, but has also extensive indirect consequences on the functions of the involved institutions, their management, organisation of their operations and transport service production. A new system enables operational rationalisation that often seems to give more benefits than its direct impacts. This paper gives an overview on the functional, economical and transport policy impacts of Finnish automatic public transport fare payment systems and multi-application city card systems. (A*)
Abstract