News

Motorola to test smart card in Netherlands

July 12, 1999

Paying for public transportation may get easier in one Netherlands city because of a new contactless smart card product developed by Motorola's Worldwide Smartcard Solutions Division (WSSD) and the ERG Group. The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management in the Netherlands awarded the contract for Motorola to enhance transportation in the city of Groningen. Motorola is testing the smart card program called Tripperpas in an effort to implement a new fare collection system. Prompted by a study completed by Motorola, the pilot is the first phase in The Ministry of Transport's efforts to implement a smart card system for fare collection. Motorola's study revealed that a test was needed before a smart card program could be implemented to replace the existing paper ticketing system for public transportation fare collection. Both Motorola and bus operator ARRIVA Netherlands developed the Tripperpas concept as the basis for the field trial. When boarding a bus, passengers will simply wave their cards in front of a reader. Using the card should reduce long waits for bus boarding and eliminate the need to search for change, creating a more convenient and efficient commute. Additionally, passengers can now take advantage of the technology to receive the best price for the distance they travel on ARRIVA buses. Motorola's systems integration and operational management services, ERG-provided bus terminals and ARRIVA bus depot computing equipment will support the Tripperpas system. More than 10,000 M-Smart dual interface smart cards are expected to be issued to ARRIVA customers for a 24-month field trial to begin in the second half of next year. Additional applications of the card could be administered because the system uses a dual interface. For example, the Ministry expects to eventually allow the public to operate a 'Park and Ride' program that would allow people to use the cards to both pay for bus fare and parking, encouraging them to use public transportation more frequently and thus keep their vehicles out of the city centers.