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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/aug/28/harrow-bus-trial-contactless-passes-london-travel-smartcard
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| Get smart! How a 90s bus pass trial transformed London travel | Get smart! How a 90s bus pass trial transformed London travel |
| (2 months later) | |
| An orderly queue formed at Harrow station in north-west London, snaking past the timetable posters to the Underground’s hottest pop-up. Staff wearing bright yellow sweatshirts reading “Get Smart” handed out flyers to commuters eager to get their hands on the innovation: the revolutionary contactless smartcard. | An orderly queue formed at Harrow station in north-west London, snaking past the timetable posters to the Underground’s hottest pop-up. Staff wearing bright yellow sweatshirts reading “Get Smart” handed out flyers to commuters eager to get their hands on the innovation: the revolutionary contactless smartcard. |
| When the Harrow bus trial – formally the bus electronic smartcard ticketing project – got under way in February 1994, it proposed a radical new means of getting around the city. Paper tickets with a magnetic stripe had been in use across London’s transport network since the 1960s – and are still used on the national rail network today. | When the Harrow bus trial – formally the bus electronic smartcard ticketing project – got under way in February 1994, it proposed a radical new means of getting around the city. Paper tickets with a magnetic stripe had been in use across London’s transport network since the 1960s – and are still used on the national rail network today. |
| Early contactless smartcards had been trialled on the London Underground with the touch and pass project in 1990 and 1991, but they relied on battery power to transfer data to the card reader and were bulky, roughly the size of a modern iPhone. Within a few years, technology had advanced allowing the card to be thinned, and London Transport, hoping to improve efficiency and ease congestion, put it to the test. | Early contactless smartcards had been trialled on the London Underground with the touch and pass project in 1990 and 1991, but they relied on battery power to transfer data to the card reader and were bulky, roughly the size of a modern iPhone. Within a few years, technology had advanced allowing the card to be thinned, and London Transport, hoping to improve efficiency and ease congestion, put it to the test. |
| The Harrow bus trial – “the new passport to Harrow’s buses” – lasted nearly two years and was the largest of its kind in the world, with nearly 18,000 smartcards issued at a cost of £2m – equivalent to roughly £3.3m today. | The Harrow bus trial – “the new passport to Harrow’s buses” – lasted nearly two years and was the largest of its kind in the world, with nearly 18,000 smartcards issued at a cost of £2m – equivalent to roughly £3.3m today. |
| “Smartcard is at the forefront of electronic ticketing, and transport operators all over the world are taking a keen interest in the benefits it can bring,” the London transport minister, Steven Norris, announced at the launch. That same technology went on to inform the city’s iconic Oyster card, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. | “Smartcard is at the forefront of electronic ticketing, and transport operators all over the world are taking a keen interest in the benefits it can bring,” the London transport minister, Steven Norris, announced at the launch. That same technology went on to inform the city’s iconic Oyster card, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. |
| The cards do not even need to be taken out of wallets for them to be electronically read. | The cards do not even need to be taken out of wallets for them to be electronically read. |
| The first smartcard was issued just after 7am on 3 February 1994, to an enthusiastic passenger, Mr Woodley – along with a commemorative “Get Smart” sweatshirt and mug. At the new dedicated smartcard office at Harrow station, Woodley exchanged his paper photocard bus pass for one that was the size of a credit card and as thick as a pound coin, displaying a digitally printed headshot he had taken moments before. | The first smartcard was issued just after 7am on 3 February 1994, to an enthusiastic passenger, Mr Woodley – along with a commemorative “Get Smart” sweatshirt and mug. At the new dedicated smartcard office at Harrow station, Woodley exchanged his paper photocard bus pass for one that was the size of a credit card and as thick as a pound coin, displaying a digitally printed headshot he had taken moments before. |
| Each smartcard contained two microchips “giving them as much computing capacity as the small personal computers of the early 1980s”, London Transport spokesman Philip Carter told the Independent at the time. The paper’s transport correspondent, Christian Wolmar, marvelled: “The cards do not even need to be taken out of wallets for them to be electronically read.” | Each smartcard contained two microchips “giving them as much computing capacity as the small personal computers of the early 1980s”, London Transport spokesman Philip Carter told the Independent at the time. The paper’s transport correspondent, Christian Wolmar, marvelled: “The cards do not even need to be taken out of wallets for them to be electronically read.” |
| The new smartcard could be used on 235 buses running on 21 routes across north-west London. Harrow was chosen as the ideal location in which to trial the new technology because it had a self-contained and widely-used bus network. Harrow’s many routes were serviced by only six bus garages, which streamlined the installation of new smartcard readers. | The new smartcard could be used on 235 buses running on 21 routes across north-west London. Harrow was chosen as the ideal location in which to trial the new technology because it had a self-contained and widely-used bus network. Harrow’s many routes were serviced by only six bus garages, which streamlined the installation of new smartcard readers. |
| In its first year, the Harrow bus trial only tested smart photocards for season or concessionary passes, valid for a week and issued with the cardholder’s photo. Uptake was enthusiastic – just two months into the trial, more than 9,000 smart photocards had been issued and more than 10,000 trips were being made every day. | In its first year, the Harrow bus trial only tested smart photocards for season or concessionary passes, valid for a week and issued with the cardholder’s photo. Uptake was enthusiastic – just two months into the trial, more than 9,000 smart photocards had been issued and more than 10,000 trips were being made every day. |
| The smartcard symbol – a black credit card with the London Transport roundel in red – was prominent across all marketing. The same symbol on card readers and in Underground stations indicated to confused commuters where they should present their smartcard, exchanging information “in a fraction of a second”, as the London Transport information booklet explained. | The smartcard symbol – a black credit card with the London Transport roundel in red – was prominent across all marketing. The same symbol on card readers and in Underground stations indicated to confused commuters where they should present their smartcard, exchanging information “in a fraction of a second”, as the London Transport information booklet explained. |
| Speed was a key advantage of the smartcard technology. Bus drivers no longer had to check tickets – a beep and a green light from the card reader confirmed validity. Passengers could renew their smartcards at one of 75 participating newsagents or the 19 Underground stations in the Harrow area. Together this had the effect of reducing boarding times and operating costs for the agency, meaning fewer, more efficient buses could offer the same frequency of service. | Speed was a key advantage of the smartcard technology. Bus drivers no longer had to check tickets – a beep and a green light from the card reader confirmed validity. Passengers could renew their smartcards at one of 75 participating newsagents or the 19 Underground stations in the Harrow area. Together this had the effect of reducing boarding times and operating costs for the agency, meaning fewer, more efficient buses could offer the same frequency of service. |
| Smartcards facilitated faster movement through the ticket gates at Underground stations, too, helping to ease bottlenecks at rush hour. The introduction of smart ticketing across London’s public transport network doubled the gates’ capacity, saving £200m. Quicker bus boarding cut operating costs by 5%, equivalent to £100m a year. | Smartcards facilitated faster movement through the ticket gates at Underground stations, too, helping to ease bottlenecks at rush hour. The introduction of smart ticketing across London’s public transport network doubled the gates’ capacity, saving £200m. Quicker bus boarding cut operating costs by 5%, equivalent to £100m a year. |
| Crucially, the processing power of the smartcard meant it was able to record trip data; paper tickets had only stored codes for the trip’s entry and exit stations. This paved the way for “pay-as-you-go” as we know it today, requiring the card to record entry and exit stations, calculate the corresponding fare, and deduct it from the stored credit. | Crucially, the processing power of the smartcard meant it was able to record trip data; paper tickets had only stored codes for the trip’s entry and exit stations. This paved the way for “pay-as-you-go” as we know it today, requiring the card to record entry and exit stations, calculate the corresponding fare, and deduct it from the stored credit. |
| It was a new innovation in the early 1990s, and pay-as-you-go was successfully introduced in February 1995, for the trial’s second year. | It was a new innovation in the early 1990s, and pay-as-you-go was successfully introduced in February 1995, for the trial’s second year. |
| By the time it ended in December 1995, the success of the Harrow bus trial was cemented. More than 90% of season and concessionary pass holders and 96% of pay-as-you-go users thought the smartcard system was a good idea. Uptake had exceeded expectations by 66%, and usage remained high over the two years, averaging 10,000 taps a day. | By the time it ended in December 1995, the success of the Harrow bus trial was cemented. More than 90% of season and concessionary pass holders and 96% of pay-as-you-go users thought the smartcard system was a good idea. Uptake had exceeded expectations by 66%, and usage remained high over the two years, averaging 10,000 taps a day. |
| The technology had also passed the test with more than 98% of transactions successful and 100% accuracy in recording travel data. Also, there was no evidence of fraud or attempted fraud. | The technology had also passed the test with more than 98% of transactions successful and 100% accuracy in recording travel data. Also, there was no evidence of fraud or attempted fraud. |
| In some ways, the trial was ahead of its time. The pass enabled transfers between buses within an hour, more than 20 years before the bus hopper fare was introduced to do the same across the London network in 2016. The trial even discounted the cost of the second leg of trips when transferring between bus and rail or vice versa – which is not offered today. | In some ways, the trial was ahead of its time. The pass enabled transfers between buses within an hour, more than 20 years before the bus hopper fare was introduced to do the same across the London network in 2016. The trial even discounted the cost of the second leg of trips when transferring between bus and rail or vice versa – which is not offered today. |
| Since those first trials in the 90s, smart ticketing has become the norm, with hundreds of schemes around the world. | Since those first trials in the 90s, smart ticketing has become the norm, with hundreds of schemes around the world. |
| Although London was at the forefront of testing the technology, it was leapfrogged by Seoul and Hong Kong in rolling it out, with UPass introduced in 1996 and Octopus in 1997 respectively. Chicago also beat London to launch a smartcard that could hold both pay-as-you-go value and season passes in 2002. | Although London was at the forefront of testing the technology, it was leapfrogged by Seoul and Hong Kong in rolling it out, with UPass introduced in 1996 and Octopus in 1997 respectively. Chicago also beat London to launch a smartcard that could hold both pay-as-you-go value and season passes in 2002. |
| The Oyster card was eventually launched in 2003, but uptake was slow until daily fare capping came in from 2005, a global first. | The Oyster card was eventually launched in 2003, but uptake was slow until daily fare capping came in from 2005, a global first. |
| In 2010, after years of negotiation with railway operators, Oyster pay-as-you-go was introduced to all railway services within London. The innovations have continued, with contactless bank cards accepted on buses since 2012 and the rest of the system since 2014. Mobile payment was introduced in 2016. | In 2010, after years of negotiation with railway operators, Oyster pay-as-you-go was introduced to all railway services within London. The innovations have continued, with contactless bank cards accepted on buses since 2012 and the rest of the system since 2014. Mobile payment was introduced in 2016. |
| The same technology that seemed so revolutionary a quarter-century ago is now so ubiquitous that we tend to take it for granted. You only need to look back to London Transport’s enthusiastic predictions in 1995 on the future of smartcards to see how far we have come from that limited run in Harrow: | The same technology that seemed so revolutionary a quarter-century ago is now so ubiquitous that we tend to take it for granted. You only need to look back to London Transport’s enthusiastic predictions in 1995 on the future of smartcards to see how far we have come from that limited run in Harrow: |
| “Soon, we may not have to go out to do our shopping or pay the bills – with smartcard, we may be able to do it all from home!” | “Soon, we may not have to go out to do our shopping or pay the bills – with smartcard, we may be able to do it all from home!” |
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