IT'S ALL IN THE CARDS - THE POTENTIAL OF SMART TRANSIT FARE COLLECTION TECHNOLOGIES

Technological advances in fare collection beyond the traditional tickets and tokens have allowed transit authorities worldwide to introduce new systems that can more effectively meet those customer needs. For instance, it has been more than two decades since magnetic tickets and cards have been used in the transit environment. More promising for transit is the advent of smart card technology. This paper reviews some of the variations available and the advantages to be gained from introducing this technology to transit systems, customers, drivers and society.