Free Travel Pass

Amz

Has anyone heard if there are plans to make this into a smart card system?

It would make things incredibly handy. The current card is not a practical size, it also has an annoying habit of falling apart.

Also, a particular gripe I have with Irish Rail, in recent years while using the train, there haven't always been attendants at stations, meaning one does not always have a ticket to accompany the pass. So upon arrival at a station you can't get past the new barriers without the need for someone to open the barrier for you, or trying to swiftly follow someone else through a gate, which isn't ideal, as a) there aren't always others at the station and b) it looks as though you're trying to avoid paying a fare. I'm visually impaired so it makes things difficult at times, especially if trying to spot an attendant to open a barrier in order to leave a station!

Aard

I don't know if there are plans to introduce it, but I'd love if it were a smart-card.

AlekSmart

Interestingly enough up until early 2009 the DFSA were manfully resisting all attempts to convert their Free Pass system to digital format.

One can only speculate at the reasons for a supposedly modern Government Department to eschew the march of technological progress,but thats exactly what they did.

By the Department`s own admission it is unsure of EXACTLY how many "Free" Passes are in circulation,but a submission to the Equality Commission during a case earlier this year made mention of "circa" 600,000 passes...Note that that is NOT persons covered by the scheme which could be a far higher "circa" number.

There has been concern expressed,particularly since the original breakup of CIE to seperate Transport entities concerning the division of DFSA spoils.

Very little actual data exists,except for Irish Rail where the late CIE Chairman Michael McDonnell did institute the first REAL attempt to reconcile DFSA Pass ACTUAL useage as opposed to the theoretical useage upon which the DFSA based their payments.

More recently,one of the CIE Bus Companies attempted to interest the DSFA in converting to a digital Smart Card format to coincide with a network wide roll out of it`s in-house smart-card tickets.

However the DFSA demurred at the cost which was expected to be 50c PER CUSTOMER to cover the Credit Card sized pass.

What is TRULY incredible is that up until early 2009,the DFSA were not actively involved with the Governments own Integrated Ticketing Implimentation Group.
This group therefore pushed ahead (slowly) with it`s proposals in the knowledge that the single largest user group in the State was NOT going to be covered.....Joined up thinking at its best ?

However,since an 11th hour Pauline conversion late 2008,it now appears that the DFSA IS coming on board the ITIG scheme.

This change of heart has led to further delays as the ITIG now have to integrate the DFSA DataBase into their already completed (or aso they Thought) system.

The former Secretary General of the Department of Transport,Julie O Neill is on record as describing to the Dáil Committee on Transport how the Integrated Ticketing Group gace her the most "sleepless nights" during her long career.........It`s now easy to appreciate why !!!

Amz

Wow, very interesting. Thanks for that!