Dublin's ticketing system due later this year

THE LONG-awaited integrated ticketing system for Dublin transport should be available by the end of the summer, a conference was told yesterday.

Tim Gaston, director of the integrated ticketing project at the Railway Procurement Agency, said they were in the final stages of the trial of the system, which had worked well to date.

The introduction of an integrated ticket system was first proposed back in 2001, but has been delayed for years because of the incompatibility of the ticketing systems used by the various transport operators in Dublin.

Mr Gaston said the model for an integrated ticket would be the Oyster Card system which is used in London and is a contactless system.

This allows users to make transactions by tapping a card off a receiver.

The chip inside the card wirelessly registers the action, meaning they do not need to be scanned, swiped or stamped like traditional cards or tickets.

Hewlett Packard, which operates the Oyster Card system in London, is also involved in the Dublin project.

Mr Gaston told a conference organised by Engineers Ireland that all the major transport operators in Dublin were on board including Luas, Dart, suburban rail services and private bus operators.

They were also talking to Dublin Bikes and to taxi drivers.

He envisaged that the system could be topped up online using an e-purse system and also through 400 different shops.

Fares would be charged at the most competitive rates available.

“We are planning to use the card to recognise the best value that the customer gets when they use some type of pre-purchase,” he said.

“For example, on Luas, the best way to travel if you do not have a weekly or monthly card is to tag on or tag off with it.

“Similarly with a rambler ticket on Dublin Bus.”