Rupert Candy wrote:
On Dec 16, 6:26 pm, Arthur Figgis wrote:
Rupert Candy wrote:
Surely it's a tentative (and arguably over-optimistic) step towards
what the Netherlands has - a national smart card which is valid for
local transport anywhere in the country,
Is it not more a case of "what the Netherlands might have one day, if
they can get it to work, if Connexxion brings its ball back, if they
(=the colonial imperialist aggressors) can install ticket gates or
similar everywhere they will be needed, and if students don't make their
own knock-offs"?

Yes, I was perhaps being a little over-optimistic in my view of the
Netherlands (though the OV-chipkaart is now working on all modes in
Amsterdam, much like the Oyster and in a far more useful way than
Paris's Mobilis - i.e. including a stored fare element). Have any
other cities in .nl moved beyond limited trials yet? For a long while
you could only use it on the metro in Amsterdam.

AIUI there is some validity in Rotterdam, but it's ages since I've been
to .nl, and I've never been further than the station forecourt in Rotterdam.

It's interesting that the Nationale Strippenkaart has been such a
success both because of, and in spite of, its very low-tech nature.

Who needs a bit paper when you can have computers, smart cards,
databases .... :-)

Enforcement is harder than with a barriered system, and it must be
very inconvenient being a commuter with the foot-long version, but any
shop anywhere in the country can sell them without needing any
equipment, and the only special equipment needed at the point of use
is a humble date stamp. Perhaps we're trying to run before we can walk
by jumping straight into a national smartcard before there's any
uniformity or integration *whatsoever* between public transport in
different areas of the country.

Thoughtful of Shortlands

We got griped with the wrong pattern of boxes on a tram en route to
Scheveningen. He was mainly amused at our inability to pronounce it - a
known issue for non-Dutch speakers, but we'll get our revenge when he
needs to go to Loogboroog.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK