Integrated ticketing enables a journey involving transfers within or between different modes of transportation using a single ticket that is valid for the entire journey.[1] These modes include buses, trains, subways, and ferries, among others. The purpose of integrated ticketing is to promote public transport use by simplifying transitions between different modes and improving service efficiency.
In many instances, integrated ticketing is facilitated through electronic ticketing technologies such as magnetic stripe cards, smart cards or contactless smart card. Some smart card systems, such as Hong Kong’s Octopus card, are also used for payments beyond transportation, including goods and services.[2] While electronic methods are prevalent, certain public transport systems still utilize paper tickets, which permit transfers within a specified area or, in some cases, allow unlimited travel during designated periods, as seen with the Transperth FamilyRider in Australia.
Countries such as Switzerland have established national integrated ticketing systems that extend beyond transportation to include access to leisure destinations, museums, and other services.[3] Other nations, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Sweden, have implemented similar systems within major cities and metropolitan areas.
The successful implementation of integrated ticketing requires extensive coordination and cooperation among public transport providers and technology suppliers. Political, technological, and project management challenges have contributed to significant delays in some projects. For example, the system in Sydney required a restart,[4] and in Dublin, the project faced substantial delays after its initiation in 2002, with the TFI Leap Card system launching in December 2011.[5] Similarly, the process of replacing magnetic stripe cards with smart cards in Stockholm took several years, nearing completion after a project initiated in 2002.[6]
Examples of integrated ticketing around the world:
| Area | Transport Authority | System Name | Ticket Type | Operational Since | Transport Types | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Adelaide Metro | MetroCARD | Smart card | November 2012 | Buses, trains & trams | |
| Auckland | Auckland Transport | AT HOP card | Smart card | 27 October 2012 | Buses, ferries & trains | |
| Snapper card | Smart card | 2011[7] | Buses (NZ Bus-operated services only) | To be phased out from April 2013 | ||
| Canberra | Transport Canberra | MyWay | Smart card | February 2011 | Buses, light rail | |
| Jakarta | PT Jakarta Lingko Indonesia | Jak Lingko | Smart card | December 2017 | Commuter rail, LRT, MRT, BRT, Angkot | |
| Kuala Lumpur | Land Public Transport Commission | Touch 'n Go | Smart card | 1997 | Commuter rail, LRT, MRT, Monorail, BRT, Buses, Parking, Toll fare | |
| Melbourne | Public Transport Victoria | myki | Smart card | 2009 | Buses, trains, trams & restricted regional rail services | Replaced the Metcard system in the Melbourne metro area in 2012 |
| Perth | Transperth[8] | SmartRider | Smart card | January 2007 | Buses, ferries & trains | Replaced the MultiRider magnetic stripe card system. Paper tickets are also available. SmartRider is also available for use in Bunbury, Busselton, Geraldton & Kalgoorlie[9] |
| Singapore | Land Transport Authority | EZ-Link | Smart card | 2001 | MRT (subway), bus, parking | CEPAS-compliant EZ-Link cards have replaced original EZ-Link cards in 2009 |
| South East Queensland | Translink[10] | go card | Smart card | January 2008[11] | Buses, ferries, trams & trains | |
| Sydney | Transport for NSW | Opal card | Smart card | December 2012 | Buses, ferries, light rail, trains | |
| Area | Transport Authority | System Name | Ticket Type | Operational Since | Transport Types | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Trans Link Systems[12] | OV-chipkaart[13] | Smart card | 2002 | All public transport on the Dutch mainland (trains, metros, trams, buses, ferries, ships, etc.).[14] | The OV-chipkaart was launched in 2002[15] but only fully replaced the national strippenkaart of the 1980s for buses, trams, and metro trains in 2011,[16] and the paper ticket system for rail travel in July 2014.[17] In 2022, a new system has been gradually rolled out called OVpay, which allows travellers to also use their bank cards, smartphones and smartwatches in addition to the already existing smart card to use the public transportation system.[18] | |
| Greater Dublin Area | TFI Leap Card[19] | Smart card | 2011 | Buses, trains, LUAS and the future Metro[20] |
| ||
| Greater London | TfL[21] | Oyster card | Smart card | July 2003 | Bus, tube, trams, DLR, London Overground & most National Rail services | ||
| Travelcard | Paper ticket, or loaded into an Oyster card | ||||||
| Greater Stockholm | SL[22] | SL-kort | Smart card | May 2022 | Buses, Metro, rail, tram, ferries | Replaced the SL Access smart card system. | |
| Lombardy (Italian region) | Regione Lombardia | Io Viaggio Ovunque[23] | Paper ticket / Magnet-Electronic paper ticket (SBME) / Smart Card (Io Viaggio) | 2011 | for travel on the entire local public transport network in the region of Lombardy: urban, suburban and intercity buses, trams, subways/metro, regional trains,[24] boats (on Lake Iseo only), and more | 1 to 7 days tickets can be purchased by anyone;[25] monthly and more long[26] have different features, and require subscription that provides / enable personal smart card. | |
| Northern Ireland | Translink[27] | Smartlink | Smart card | October 2009 | Bus In Belfast, Bus In Derry, Regional & Intercity Bus, Railways services | ||
| Paris | RATP/SNCF | Navigo pass, Mobilis/Jeunes one-day tickets | Smart card / magnetic ticket | 2006 | Subway, commuter rail (RER and Transilien), tramway, bus | Replaced the Carte Orange magnetic ticket system, One-day tickets are still magnetic | |
| Switzerland | Swiss Federal Railways[28] | Swiss Pass | Magnetic stripe card | 1989[29] | Buses, trains, ships and tramways | ||
| Subotica | Subotica-Trans[30] | SuBus | Smart card | 2012 | Buses | ||
1 to 7 days tickets allows use of 1st and 2nd class (The 1st class is present on almost all of "RV" and "RE" trains, very rarely on "R" trains, never on "S" trains; 1st class is also present in the "MXP" trains, but remind that with "Io Viaggio 1-7 days" tickets "MXP" trains are accessible only for journeys that not start or end at Malpensa Airport Station. Note that trains can however display in their onboard indications 1st and 2nd class zones, but this not matter if the trains are programmed for "2nd class only" by the paper form timetable in force). Monthly and more long subscription allows use of 2nd class only.