To enhance the use of public transport, cities should aim at making the ticketing system attractive and easy to understand for everyone. The pricing system should be coherent and simple with a reasonable number of tickets that takes users’ needs into account.
The basis for fares should be transpa-rent 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 in vehicles), 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 marketing public transport. Smart payments also can provide valuable data on 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 purchase afforded by innovative ticketing systems in a city should attract more public transport passengers, resulting in less private cars entering the urban area and greater passenger satisfaction. The accessibility of public transport in general is enhanced with the introduction of a ticket valid for all types of services and vehicles.
Each public transport user can benefit from a new ticketing system as the new offers are better adapted to the needs and travel patterns of each person. When using a smart card or mobile phone, public transport passengers can save money because the best price for the trips is calculated automatically (for example, after a certain amount of trips passengers get a price reduction).
Private companies and their employees can profit by the new systems when sale and subsidy of public transport fares for the employees are simplified. Public transport companies especially benefit from this measure by an increased number of passengers generated by the service. By offering tailor-made tickets for specific users groups new markets could be developed.
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