Travel bosses bid to introduce North East smart card

Sep 2 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

TRAVEL bosses want to introduce a North East smart card which will allow passengers to use one pass from Berwick to Brighton.

Regional minister Nick Brown recently backed plans to spend £15m on a public transport pass which will mean passengers can use one pass for buses and trains from Northumberland down to Teesside.

Now ministers say they want to see a nationwide change to the way public transport is paid for, which could see the end of paper tickets.

New technology, which will also allow mobile phones to double up as swipe cards and bank cards to be used to pay directly for journeys, could revolutionise how travellers purchase and use tickets.

Ministers have started a consultation on linking up smart cards from different regions, and could force transport companies to ensure all buses and trains can use the new technology.

Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland, who sits on the House of Commons transport committee, said he welcomed news of the consultation.

“The Oyster Card system in London has brought great benefits to commuters. There you don’t even need to swipe the cards, simply pass them across the scanner,” he said. “This has been looked at for some years by the committee and news of the consultation is very welcome.”

“It just makes it so much easier for commuters to travel between different forms of transport, it is just so much more convenient for people.

“If this was linked in to the Metro it would be fantastic for the North East.

“It could also help to reduce fraud, but the main benefit it would bring would be that it makes travel some much simpler for everyone.”