Centro West Midlands, UK has introduced smart card readers on all buses in its area using ITSO technology. This will be compatible with other schemes in the UK in the future. More than 450,000 concessionary fare passes had already been issued using the technology and with the new card readers, the journey patterns of concessionary travellers can be analysed. The introduction of the system was facilitated by a seamless partnership between Centro, transport operators and suppliers. Since buses do not stop at country boundaries, liaison with neighbouring local authorities was also important. London Midland, the main rail operator in the West Midlands, is also rolling out an ITSO smart card scheme. Wayfarer 200 electronic ticket machines were tested extensively before installation in vehicles. More than 2100 buses were fitted with the equipment in under five months. The smart card team also operated a managed service for smaller transport operators. It is planned to introduce new kinds of smart ticketing using pre-loaded cards.
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