Unicard, a provider of public transport smart ticketing and payment solutions, has announced that its Host Operator or Processing System (HOPS) central back office system, which securely processes all kinds of smart transactions, has been selected by Transport Scotland to manage both commercial journeys and the Scottish National Concessionary Travel Scheme (SNCTS).
Unicard says its HOPS supports all ITSO accredited smart ticketing schemes and is a fully automated, scalable and secure solution, capable of handling high volumes of ITSO messaging and data transactions and which will provide Transport Scotland with the ability to monitor live reporting data, track concessionary fares and manage smart reimbursements with transport operators.
The firm says that its suite of smart ticketing solutions has already been adopted by over 60 local and regional authorities in England. This agreement marks the company’s first major deployment in Scotland.
Debbie Walker, Business and Operations Manager at Transport Scotland explained: “Public transport services in Scotland have had to adapt to the Covid-19 situation. The Unicard platform will help us to ensure that concessionary ticketing services are provided to the highest standard and with continuity, allowing us to use the data produced by the platform to monitor journeys and passenger numbers. This deployment reflects our ongoing investment in digital services to deliver a sustainable transport network that allows all journeys in Scotland to be made using smart ticketing or payment.”
Sean Dickinson, CEO of Unicard, added: “We’re extremely pleased to be working with Transport Scotland. The Unicard HOPS is a comprehensive back office system that supports smart ticketing and payment services. It will play an integral role in supporting concessionary travel across Scotland. We continue to expand our solutions and services to other parts of the UK, whilst continuing to work closely with some of the largest local authorities in England. Our solutions portfolio helps customers to capitalise on new opportunities presented by future transport zones, and the renewed investment in public transport. Our fully integrated and hosted solutions enable local authorities to incorporate bikes, e-scooters and electric vehicles to their existing bus and rail travel schemes.”
