Integrated Ticketing
 

The has been a lot of poor information on the integrated ticketing project, so RUI went and met with those in charge a while back

Will work on Dublin Bus, Irish Rail and Luas services initially. Bus Eireann and other operators to follow

Fare Structure (note still under discussion and may change)

• It is understood that Dublin Bus services will charge a fixed flat fare regardless of journey (nightlink, airport etc special fares apply) Tag on only
• Irish Rail/Luas tag on/off charge per zone/distance as per current policy
• If you make several journeys within a defined time window the overal fare charged will be less than those journeys if made seperately

Capping of Fares

• If in a 7 day period, (00:01 Sunday to 23:59 Saturday as per current rail ticket rules) your travel by any of the three modes exceeds the 7 day ticket for that mode a cap is applied and you pay the 7 day fare regardless of how much additional travel you make
  
• If your travel across multiple modes exceeds the 7 day fare for the 7 day dual/triple mode ticket are capped at that fare regardless of how much additional travel you make
  
• Single day capping should also exist

Annual Monthly

• Monthly/Annual tickets for single/multiple modes will live on the smartcard
  
• Possible to have monthly rail ticket and have epurse credit and to use that on bus and luas. If you have an expired Irish Rail annual smartcard you can actually load a monthly ticket on it today at a TVM

Status

• The Dublin Bus/Luas epruse ticket is under limited trial. Larger trials to start in coming months
• As with the Irish Rail smartcard project Rail Users Ireland is likely to be involved in the first user testing of the new system. Details in the members area of the forum
• Two RUI committee members have successfully tagged on using the Dublin Bus/Luas smartcard

Some posters on another forum are implying to use the smartcard on dublin bus you will have to scan it on the drivers scanner/printer and the driver enters the value to be deducted based on a fare system similar to the current cash one. However based on the information you provided that is not true.

In my opinion a flat fair for the smartcard is far superior as it would increase passenger loading significantly as there would be no need to interact with the driver. Is the fare system finalised yet? Surely it must be agreed at this stage.

The biggest unknown is Dublin Bus, a flat fare structure is what is planned for. How that works when you hit the outer suburban fares on the bus may result in need to do a specific charge on the card.

The Dublin system is more advanced than London as it does multi day capping

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments you read about the ITS project, unlike others we have actually held an ITS ticket in our hand

The Luas smartcard readers are fully ITS enabled currently

Thanks! Its great to see some decent real info on the project. Two more questions for you; has a name or any branding been decided for ITS and any updated on the expected launch?

As it stands today, the Luas system is fully ITS enabled. In the next few months a number of Dublin Bus routes will be enabled and then all of Dublin Bus. Irish Rail will follow on from that

Rail Users Ireland members will probably get a chance to try out the smartcard before it goes live. We had some fun with Irish Rail's system http://www.railusers.ie/news/news.ph...2010&no=1.html

No idea as to the name yet, that falls under the National Transport Authorities remit to create a single brand for transport in Dublin. I understand a logo has been chosen, have yet to see it.

I'll be looking forward to the early review of the system so! I had become curious of the branding after spotting the "Transport for Ireland" logo that is stuck to the DB RTPI signs.

One of the problems in the past was the logo issue. The CIE group wanted its companies logos on the back. The Transport 21 progress in motion logo will be on the back. The front is where the ITS logo will be

I might have held a ITS card in my hard but it was a testing blank so nothing printed on it.

The biggest unknown is Dublin Bus fares.

Any further updates? With the supposed launch at Easter its fairly quiet.

It won't be available at Easter

Probably close to end of testing of the Luas+Bus ticket by then on a handful of routes, but Irish Rail won't be onboard until the end of the Summer.Its being done on a staged basis

I mistakenly thought the first stage was launching then. That's disappointing, especially with the fare increasing. Any info on the expected launch timetable?

Is anyone here involved in the testing of the bus/luas smartcard? The RPA website claims that customers are involved in live testing that is currently underway.

Link to RPA site

The current tests are limited to only a few bus routes. I have used a bus/luas iTS card briefly last year

We are waiting for the next phase when Irish Rail joins

I've now got a list of bus routes mainly northside coast + airport + 747/748 for current tests

I can finally confirm that integrated ticketing tests with non RPA staff are ongoing

These tests are limited to a number of bus routes and the Luas

Are these epurse tests or annual smart card?

Annual

For various reasons I can't give much information. The members area has further details

Any more developments on that card front? I hear Leo Varadkar has said he wants it in action by the end of the year! Don't tell me its been pushed back from later summer.

I have one right now and it works and it will be in place on Dublin Bus + Luas by start Summer and on Irish Rail by start Autumn and Bus Eireann in early 2012

Various testing phases to complete and the next one starts first week of April, epurse trials

Cheers Mark! Sounds like its still on track so. Is your card branded yet?

I'm not allowed say either way. Nothing is final yet