Smart ticketing charter agreed

Alliance goals include establishing interoperable smart ticketing

EUROPE Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed February 2012, a Smart Ticketing Alliance Charter has now been agreed by representatives of VDV KA (Germany), ITSO (UK), AFIMB (France), Calypso Network Association and UITP (International Association of Public Transport).

The Charter includes cooperation on, and establishment of, a trust scheme for public transport which mirrors the trust schemes in the mobile phone industry and banking.

The February 2012 agreement commits the Alliance to cooperating on the development of smart ticketing interoperability based on the principles of Interoperable Fare Management (IFM) set out in the EU-IFM Project, funded by the European Commission and the developments in contactless bankcards and NFC-enabled devices, particularly mobile phones.

The Smart Ticketing Alliance Charter represents a coordinated approach for establishing Smart Ticketing interoperability in the public transport sector.

The main goals of the Alliance are:

• Co-operation between national and regional smart ticketing schemes to establish interoperable smart ticketing in Europe and elsewhere.
• To develop, agree and publish the functional and technical requirements for smart ticketing interoperability
• Cooperation on the establishment of trust schemes, specifications and Certification
• Cooperation with other European and International bodies to promote interoperability in smart ticketing
• Full membership is open for national ticketing schemes and regional groups of PTAs / companies cooperating in the electronic smart ticketing area.

The founder members of the Smart Ticketing Alliance invite other European stakeholders to join either as full members or at associate level in the development of the Smart Ticketing Alliance.

A coordinating Secretariat will be established for the Smart Ticketing Alliance from within the UITP to provide a single contact point.