Annex A - Benchmarking review of current practice: Scotland, UK and International
Overview
The report, prepared for NTSAB by Innovatious Ltd., provides a comprehensive benchmarking review of smart ticketing practices in Scotland, the wider UK, and internationally. Its primary aim is to assess the current landscape, identify areas for improvement, and offer recommendations for future smart ticketing initiatives.
Current Scottish Landscape (Deliverable 1)
The report outlines how Scotland's transport ticketing is highly fragmented, with diverse approaches across operators and modes. While pre-paid paper, app-based (barcodes), and smartcards are common, Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) using contactless EMV (cEMV) is gaining traction due to its simplicity. A key challenge for pre-paid tickets is the complexity for customers to select optimal fares amidst numerous operators and overlapping multi-operator schemes. The only consistent approach is the ITSO-based entitlement schemes. On-bus ticketing remains prevalent, with contactless payment options widely available, though cash is still accepted. Closed-loop smartcard schemes have seen mixed commercial success, often overshadowed by the growing popularity of barcode and cEMV solutions. In relation to Accessibility and Inclusion, the findings of the report demonstrate that (a) the online and app-based retail provision of many operators and schemes are not compliant with current legislation; and (b) they offer a fairly limited view of accessibility, often focused on pure legal obligations at the expense of a more considered view of genuine access.
UK and International Benchmarking (Deliverable 2)
The report highlights similar trends in the UK, including the prevalence of on-bus ticketing, varied success of ITSO for commercial purposes, and the rise of mobile and cEMV PAYG solutions. Examples like Transport for London (TfL) demonstrate comprehensive, integrated cEMV-based systems, while others, like Cornwall, show successful "cEMV lite" implementations. International examples, such as Cal-ITP (USA) and Myki (Australia), emphasize the importance of interoperable standards and human-centered design in developing effective ticketing solutions. The report notes challenges in transitioning from legacy systems and the high cost of maintaining fragmented solutions.
Key Conclusions and Recommendations
The report identifies several quick wins, for intermodal ticketing and formalising accessibility guidelines. It recommends reviewing the long-term role of ITSO cards as the exclusive medium for entitlement-based provision and avoiding heavy investment in new ITSO card-based commercial initiatives.
A significant recommendation is to support the early expansion of cEMV PAYG schemes, but crucially, within a clear guidance framework to ensure future interoperability. The central belt of Scotland is suggested as a testbed for achieving such interoperability.
For the medium to long term, the report advises engaging with national initiatives (GBRTT/RDG for rail, Project Coral for bus broker solutions) and prioritising in-depth customer research to define future propositions. It stresses the importance of making "hard decisions" to decommission legacy technologies to reduce operational costs and create consistent customer experiences.
Ultimately, the report urges Transport Scotland to clarify its strategic role in the market, including its willingness to influence or mandate propositions, solutions, and standards. It recommends an Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) solution supporting both cEMV and closed-loop tokens, offering both PAYG and pre-purchased capabilities, as the "best-in-class" target for Scottish passengers, with a strong focus on inclusivity and accessibility from the outset.