National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board - Meeting Minutes - 21 April 2026
Attendees
- Dr Andrew Seedhouse: Chair AS
Board Members
- Claire Dickie: Rail Operator Representative CD
- Hussein Patwa: Accessibility Representative HP
- James Gleave: Transport Strategy Advisor JG
- Kirsten Urquhart: Passenger Representative KU
- Michael Nimmo: Subway Operator Representative MN
- Mostafa Gulam: Technical Systems Advisor MG
- Stevie Chambers: Bus Operator Representative SC
- *Diane Burke: Ferry Operator Representative DB
- Graeme MacFarlane: Bus Operator Representative GM
- Matt Smallwood: Smart Delivery Advisor MS
- Mary Docherty: Transport Scotland Representative MD
- *Margaret Roy: Local Transport Authority Representative (ATCO) MR
- Ranald Robertson: Regional Transport Partnership Representative (RTP) RR
Other attendees
- Juliet Bell: Smart Programme Manager (Transport Scotland) JB
- Kat Quane: Smart Policy Delivery Lead (Trasport Scotland) (Sponsor) KQ
- Bettina Sizeland: Director of TIC (Transport Scotland) (SRO) BS
(Senior Responsible Officer within Transport Scotland)
- *Kevin Ho: Programme Support Officer (Transport Scotland) (Secretariat) KH
- *Mark Speed (Regional Transport Partnership Observer (RTP) MS
- Scott Meighan: NSTAB Manager (Transport Scotland) (SM)
- George Beale-Pratt: Policy Manager (Transport Scotland) (GBP)
Apologies
- Marilena Papadopoulou: Tram Operator Representative MP
- Claire Dickie: Rail Operator Representative CD
- Matt Smallwood: Smart Delivery Advisor MS
*joined remotely
Agenda Item 1: Minutes and Actions
Welcome
The meeting commenced with AS welcoming all attendees. AS welcomed Scott Meighan (SM), the new NSTAB manager, highlighting that Scott would be taking on significant responsibilities moving forward. AS then presented the agenda for the morning, which aimed to update everyone on the work since February, particularly the refinement of the year one work programme of STAR delivery. He confirmed that everyone was satisfied with the minutes from the February meeting, and they were accepted as a good record.
Actions Arising
AS reviewed the actions arising from the previous meeting's minutes. The first action involved members considering how the STAR report would be communicated by sector. Andrew thanked those who had been actively engaging in this task. JG was reminded to send the UK link to TSITS. SC reported on the historical One Ticket data, noting that the introduction of the digital ticket coincided with Lothian's expansion into East Lothian. Subsequently, a similar expansion into West Lothian and then the pandemic. SC advised it was more of a good example of a complete digital transition of a product that once had many different form factors, concluding that while there was some growth, it was not solely attributable to digital availability. AS acknowledged these updates and marked the actions as completed pending JG sending out the link.
Task: Send the UK link to TSITS. @James Gleave
Agenda Item 3: Chair Update
AS provided a brief update of activities since the February meeting. He mentioned engagement with Open Transport, a not-for-profit organisation focused on data sharing, and the intention to offer them an update session on NSTAB and STAR actions. He reminded everyone of the pre-election period rules and confirmed adherence to them. AS also attended the launch of the Department for Transport in England's Better Connected Strategy and its aspirations with regards to ticketing, which has implications for NSTAB, particularly regarding boundary interfaces with England. JG noted that the strategy was more about realigning existing funding pots and the way which it does things - particularly within England. BS noted ongoing discussions with TS and DFT about the strategy's implementation – noting that the strategy does not mention new unlocked funding.
Agenda Item 4: Transport Scotland Sponsor & Policy Update
KQ provided updates on sponsorship and policy matters. KQ informed the group about new guidance for public bodies responding to FOI requests and the establishment of Environmental Standards Scotland, which is designed to oversee public bodies regarding their climate duties. KQ added that during the pre-election period, no legislative changes were happening, and they were focusing on setting up a working group to provide useful guidance on data standards for BODS. The group (when formed) aims to ensure the guidance is practical and addresses specific data needs, with input from various stakeholders, including technical data experts from different organisations including TS. KQ welcomed the input from any bus operators or data experts from other sectors.
Agenda Item 5: STAR Work Programme update (Chair)
AS discussed the ongoing workplan updates. DB provided an update on the work at CalMac, including API wrapper testing, explaining its purpose in improving data feeds and live information access for customers. DB elaborated on the testing process and its expected benefits. RR gave an update on the multi-operator ticketing project and highlighted the potential impact of the £2 fare cap pilot in the HITRANS and ZetTrans regions. This has meant that from a customer perspective there is not necessarily the same appetite for a multi-modal ticket while single adult fares are set at £2 under the pilot. As such, the plans to introduce multi-modal ticketing in the Highlands are temporarily paused.
AS updated on the single QR standard to facilitate multi-modal digital ticketing, including progress by the working group (AS/JB members) on funding requests to DfT for the 2nd stage pilot and upcoming events (Townhall etc) to promote the enhanced specification.
AS emphasised the need for detailed planning and monitoring of the work programme. He mentioned the need for a comprehensive programme delivery overview to map all activities and ensure engagement from all stakeholders. All noted the workload required. AS discussed the importance of identifying critical dependencies and setting out a clear path for the work programme. BS mentioned the need for a critical path analysis to distinguish between desirable and critical actions. MN acknowledged the significant work involved and asked about the focus on cEMV versus barcodes. MG explained the greater complexity and work required for cEMV, while AS confirmed the system would be token agnostic.
AS also discussed funding for upgrades, noting that while it was not part of their delivery activity, significant investment would be required. He mentioned an estimated budget of up to £250 million for hardware and system upgrades across the public transport estate to deliver a national integrated ticketing system.
AS concluded by discussing the next steps, including circulating the work programme spreadsheet and preparing detailed delivery plans for review and monitoring.
Agenda Item 6 – Sector Update
Regional Transport Partnership – Ronald Robertson
RR provided an update on the impact of the two-pound fare cap pilot on the Inverness multi operator ticket expansion Quick win, for which HITRANs and ZetTrans are pilot areas. The pilot has been positive, while being complex with a need for close collaboration with operators and the requirement for the negotiation of reimbursement rates. Planning for an exit strategy from the pilot has taken priority in recent BSIP meetings and the opportunity of utilising the Grasshopper ticket as a foundation for a Highland integrated ticket has been paused for now. AS noted that If you're a customer in that area and the two-pound fare pilot is delivering a lower cost weekly approach to travel with a capped basis, then the demand for a new smart based multi-operator product won't be there until such a time as it has a suitable place within the market. However AS asked if RR could suggest an integrated ticket as part of the exit strategy as an ‘off the shelf’ product that could provide for customers in the space left by the £2cap. RR agreed.
Task: Raise the potential for a Highland integrated ticket as part of BSIP £2 cap exit strategy discussions. @Ranald Robertson
RR expressed concerns about the potential impact on bus capacity during the summer months in particular as a result of the £2 fare cap. BS and MD added that the pilot's impact on different modes of transport and the broader implications for concessions and service availability would be considered. The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding the pilot's effects on the commercial market.
Ferries Update – Diane Burke
DB provided an update for the ferry sector, highlighting the value of collaboration and the need for alignment with the NSTAB work programme. She mentioned the formation of a working group to support shared learning among operators. The group included representatives from Highlands, Argyll and Bute, Northlink, and CalMac, with a focus on digital initiatives and shared resources. AS attended the ferry group and offered to provide similar updates for other modal sectors. DB noted the importance of engaging with trade unions to ensure support for new ticketing initiatives and training for frontline staff. She emphasised the need for clear communication and collaboration to avoid potential issues.
Local Authorities Update – Margaret Roy
MR provided an update from local authorities, highlighting the increasing tender prices for directly authority procured services (including school services) and the impact on local bus services. She mentioned specific examples of significant price increases of contracts and the challenges faced by operators, including considering the potential for in-house operations and integration of ticketing arrangements for subsidised and commercial journeys.
Agenda Item 7 - Supplier Showcase
Informative presentation by FirstBus on a 22 – 26 year old ‘bridging product’ using YoungScot to provide an offer to 21 year olds about to age out of the scheme. RS discussed the 9 step procedure from contact to benefit, looking at around a 30% discount for weekly/monthly tickets which can be handled via direct debit until age 26. The Young Scot app verifies the eligibility of the person, and then the person is transferred to the First app to complete their discounted purchase. Technical queries were raised on how to avoid fraud (such as direct debits automatically taking payments beyond 26). RS/GM were confident that data on use could be used to feedback on the success of the scheme in retaining bus patrons and therefore could be rolled out further. HP asked about analysing young persons pass holder numbers vs passes used (and disabled persons bus pass holders vs actual passes used) to target people that have never used the entitlement. All welcomed the work done to date and were keen to see the proposed June soft launch. GBP sought clarity on whether this could also be used to support discounted Tap On Tap Off (TOTO). RS confirmed that TOTO data is currently anonymous and not linked to a personal account.
Agenda Item 8 - AOB and Close
The Board thanked GM for his time on the Board, who was attending his last meeting as the second bus representative. The participants expressed their gratitude for his contributions and acknowledged the tangible outputs achieved under his involvement. The next meeting was scheduled for the 2nd of June, with the possibility of aligning it with the launch of the new first bus 22-26 bridging product initiative. KU was tasked with checking the availability of the Young Scot office in Edinburgh as a potential venue for the next meeting. MG advised that the September meeting date coincides with the TCF in Manchester. The meeting concluded with a call for any final comments and a reminder to provide feedback on the spreadsheet to build a proper delivery plan for the year one activity.
Task: Check the availability of the Young Scot office in Edinburgh as a potential venue for the next meeting. @Kirsten Urquhart