Smart and integrated ticketing in the UK: Piecing together the jigsaw

In its recently published “Smart and Integrated Ticketing Strategy”, the Department for Transport (DfT) set out its vision for a seamless transport ticketing infrastructure across England by 2020, built on smart card ticketing technologies. This article discusses the core aspects of the DfT's strategy, the existing jigsaw of discrete ticketing schemes in the UK, and the challenges of integration. The authors review both legal and commercial risks associated with the procurement of new ticketing infrastructures and outline the key contractual issues to be addressed by operators in smart card ticketing projects.