In 1994 London Transport Buses launched a trial of electronic ticketing on buses in Harrow. The trial covering over 200 vehicles was used to assess and evaluate the new technology with a view to, if successful, introducing electronic ticketing on all London's buses. Such an application would be the largest use of smartcards on a public transport system in the world. This paper deals with the assessment and evaluation of the new technology and passenger and operator reactions to it. A new type of evaluation framework was developed from experience in the USA to deal with the effects of new electronic ticketing. Elements within the framework were addressed using comprehensive quantitative and qualitative field quantitative and qualitative field research, along with analysis of new data sources that became available as a result of the new technology. Voluntary participation in the trial by a large number of passengers allowed for extensive research to be carried out on the effects of electronic ticketing on passengers, drivers, operators and managers. Problems with the technology were monitored and amendments made to improve the system as the trial progressed. (A)
Samenvatting