Re: [VIC] Antwerp's ticketing system

[amorton@mudguard.ee.mu.oz.au (Anthony Morton)]

Paul Dwerryhouse  <paul+usenet@dwerryhouse.com.au> wrote:

>I've just spent the weekend in Antwerp, Belgium, where the ticketing system 
>on their trams, buses and pre-metro looks suspiciously like MetCrud - in terms
>of the ticket and validator shape.
> 
>Does anyone know if the mob who did Melbourne's system also had a hand
>in Antwerp's system? Presumably it was done earlier than Melbourne's - the
>validators look a bit older.

I think ERG (the mob in Perth) have been going around the world flogging
their technology to any city that will take it.  They've certainly boasted
about the number of contracts they've got for PT ticketing systems, so I
wouldn't be surprised if Antwerp were one of them.

Currently I'm in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the tram/bus validating machines
here are the spitting image of the ones in Melbourne apart from the line of
buttons down the side, just as you say they have in Antwerp.  In Gothenburg's
case the buttons are to distinguish different fare rates.  Their 'value
cards' are similar to our 10x2hr tickets except that fares are calculated
on a single-trip basis.  Transfers are allowed, but you're supposed to
revalidate the ticket using the button labelled BYTE (Swedish for transfer).

Interestingly, up until a couple of years ago the Swedes didn't bother with
ticket inspectors, but that changed when it was discovered that fare
evasion under the new automated system was running at levels around 50%.
So it appears the Gothenburgers like continually feeding tickets into
machines about as much as Melburnians do.  But at least it is possible for
multiple people to travel on the one ticket - you just validate it the
appropriate number of times.

Cheers,
Tony M.