Shifting the ticketing paradigm: The role of open standards

Abstract

This paper discusses the transit ticketing industry and the challenges it faces to evolve current systems. Providing an overview of the key pressures facing public transport operators, the piece will investigate how single-vendor fare collection systems are increasingly problematic and how the adoption of an open standard can bring new opportunities. The paper investigates how developments in internet of things (IoT), urban mobility and increasingly ‘smart cities’ are forcing transit ticketing to look beyond public transport. The need to develop multi-application solutions and collaborate with adjacent ecosystems, including access control and payments, is crucial. Moreover, it will consider how host card emulation (HCE) technology will be central to effecting this change. This consumer-centric approach will facilitate consumer demand for greater functionality and ease of use, and allow public transport operators to tap into new revenue streams at low initial cost. Readers will learn how open standards are vital for the future of fare collection and the only way to truly realise the full benefits of adopting HCE in transport. The paper will discuss the OSPT Alliance’s market-leading standard, CIPURSE, and its ability to both meet the challenges facing transport operators in the short term and provide scope for future developments and scalable long-term deployments.