Integrated Ticketing
Integrated ticketing systems are a feature of public transport in cities in the developed world. Indeed, some countries such as the Netherlands and Switzerland have national integrated ticket systems. In the two countries with which New Zealand has the greatest cultural commonality — the UK and Australia — integrated ticket systems are well established in virtually all major cities. Those in London and Melbourne are particularly outstanding, but there are many other good examples, such as in Brisbane, and in Newcastle (UK).
Despite a shared cultural heritage with Australia and the UK, integrated ticketing has not been a major feature of the New Zealand transport landscape. Rather oddly, its only really significant use has been in intercity travel — coming out of an initiative of New Zealand Railways in the 1970s. Thus, when the Auckland Discovery Pass was introduced in 2003 for travel within urban Auckland, it was a pioneering development for this country.
Observation of overseas examples enables us to fairly readily establish the required characteristics that make up a good integrated ticketing system. The Auckland Discovery Pass does indeed have some of these characteristics. However, it falls well short on some critical aspects, as a result of which it is currently little used compared to successful integrated ticketing systems overseas.
The purpose of this paper is look at what constitutes a successful integrated ticketing system, and to compare Auckland’s Discovery Pass against those standards — concluding with recommendations as to where emphasis should be placed in terms of campaigning.
What Do We Mean By Integrated Ticketing?
There is a degree of confusion over whether integrated ticketing refers to. It can be variously taken to mean:-
1. either:- an integrated electronic prepay system, accepted by most or all operators in a given area. The individual fare structures of these operators may remain largely or completely separate.
comment: Overall, this type of scheme appears to offer very little advantage to passengers — in some ways electronic prepay is more disadvantageous than cash. The main gains seem to be to operators — in reducing bulk cash handling issues, in potentially tying customers into future transactions, and in receiving payment for fares which may not be subsequently used.
2. or:- an integrated fare system whereby, for a given fare, passengers can move freely between most or all operators and/or modes in a given area. Means of payment is not relevant in this definition — it can be by any means including cash and/or electronic prepay — the critical defining characteristic is the ability to move between operators and/or modes on the basis of a single ticket.
comment: This type of scheme is very advantageous to passengers, giving greatly enhanced flexibility, and usually, certainty regarding costs. Transactional costs to operators are also reduced, who can also gain benefits from much greater use, albeit usually at a reduced return per passenger. However, this approach can be difficult to sell to operators, particularly relating to issues around how the fare pool is divided up. It is also difficult to incorporate operators whose fare structures are radically different from most of those in the area concerned, eg providers of city-to-airport links.
3. or:- a combination of the above. In a few cases at present (most notably London), attempts are being made to produce an overall scheme incorporating the main characteristics of both of the above approaches. The integration of the London Oyster Card and Travel Card schemes is very much a work-in-progress. The fully integrated aspects of the Hong Kong Octopus Card seem to be deliberately restricted in scope.
recommendation: As the capital costs of implementation of electronic prepay systems seem high, and the advantage to passengers seem limited, I would suggest that we concentrate our focus on integrated fare structures, where capital costs are low, gains to passengers high, and the main obstacles to implementation are political rather than financial and technological.
What Are the Reasons for Advocating Integrated Ticketing?
A good integrated ticketing system encourages increased public transport use in at least three ways:-
- it greatly simplifies the use of public transport, removing actual and perceived administrative and logistical obstacles
- it makes costs to users more predictable and transparent
- it usually reduces costs to users compared to a non-integrated system
Benefits of increased public transport use include reduced car use, congestion and associated pollution, plus greater mobility for those who do not have as ready access to cars.
What are the Most Important Characteristics of Integrated Ticketing Systems?
1. Coverage of operators
Ideally, an integrated ticket should cover absolutely all operators in a given area. Unfortunately this is seldom possible because of the existence of premium operators such as airport link providers. However, the best systems are pretty comprehensive.
For example the London Travelcard incorporates not only nearly all bus operators, but all franchised rail operators, the underground, trams, and light railways operating within the urban area. The system in Melbourne is similarly comprehensive.
As an example of what happens under a voluntary system where one major operator refuses to play ball, the Manchester integrated ticketing system unfortunately excludes trams outside the city centre.
The present Auckland Discovery Pass system is pretty comprehensive in its coverage of operators.
2. Geographic coverage.
Most integrated ticketing systems provide reasonably complete geographic coverage of the greater urban area concerned.
The Auckland Discovery Pass system’s coverage is pretty comprehensive, but excludes Pukekohe, which in most other respects, is treated as part of Auckland’s urban transport area.
3. Range of durations.
The best integrated ticketing systems offer a range of time durations. The London Travelcard comes in 1, 3 and 7 day durations, and is also available for monthly and yearly periods. In the case of some cities, shorter durations are available - eg in the case of Melbourne a 2-hour ticket is available, in addition to daily, monthly and annual tickets. Melbourne also offers discounted 10 packs of 2-hourly tickets and 5 packs of daily tickets, thus allowing passengers a considerable degree of enhanced flexibility, without over complicating the system.
In Auckland, the present Discovery Pass is available only in daily and monthly durations.
4. Zonal structure.
The availability of passes restricted to use within one or a combination of zones, enables pricing to be made more attractive for the great majority of users who have no need to travel right across an urban area on a regular basis.
The London Travelcard area is divided into 6 zones. To simplify things, the one and three day tickets are available for either zones 1 & 2 combined, or for all zones combined. However, tickets for a longer duration are available with a wide range of zonal restrictions and combinations.
Melbourne uses three zones, and all durations of ticket are available on a single zone basis, or for any combination of zones.
Auckland’s Discovery Pass is not available on a zonal basis, and therefore costs are high for the majority of potential integrated ticket users who plan to travel only within a limited area — eg the isthmus. Major Auckland bus operator Stagecoach has a well-established zonal structure in Auckland for its own tickets, and this could be easily adopted for integrated tickets.
5. Value-for-Money Pricing
To be successful, integrated ticketing needs to be good value.
At present Auckland’s Discovery Pass is at the high end of pricing for equivalent one day cards. Examples of one-day, all-zone prices:-
Melbourne NZ$5.95; Adelaide NZ$7.05; Newcastle UK NZ$11.85. Auckland NZ$12.00
Note, all of these cities have significantly better public transport systems than Auckland. In all other than Auckland, significantly cheaper integrated tickets than those listed are available by the use of zone and/or time restrictions — features not available in Auckland.
Note: an all-zones all-day one-day London Travelcard costs NZ$31.80, but there are several ways to reduce this significantly. For instance, by not starting travel until 9.30am, the cost of travel is halved. It also has to be remembered that the London Travelcard gives access to one of the world’s greatest urban public transport networks — a situation which is certainly not the case in Auckland!
6. Clear marketing image, widely displayed
A clear and unambiguous marketing image is obviously an advantage in terms of encouraging the widespread adoption of integrated tickets. The London Travelcard and the Melbourne Metcard are excellent examples of this.
The use of the image or logo on related services is important, particularly on buses - to assure users that the use of integrated tickets is welcome. London achieves this well on buses, but less so on other modes.
Sadly, to date, the Auckland Discovery Pass has suffered a confused image. Marketing gives primary emphasis to the words “Get About” and gives the impression that it is called a “Get About Pass” — which it is not! The marketing logo features labelled luggage, not really a relevant concept for most urban transport users. This logo gives the impression that the ticket is intended for tourists, and yet the monthly option (one of only two options available) is probably of very limited interest to tourists. Focussing on tourist is unlikely to have any impact on Auckland’s traffic congestion. Also, The MAXX logo seems to be completely divorced from the Discovery Pass logo, when they should be brought together in some coherently linked form.
Auckland has done moderately well in getting the Discovery Pass logo on vehicles, but a lot more could be done at stops, stations, and in literature, etc.
7. Provision of concessionary travel
Almost all integrated ticketing systems internationally offer discounted tickets for children, the elderly, and students, etc.
Auckland’s Discovery Pass does not offer concessionary fares.
Other Desirable Characteristics of Good Integrated Ticketing Systems
1. Flexible commencement
Most integrated ticketing systems allow for passes to be commenced at a time suitable to the user, but later than purchase. There are two aspects to this, firstly that the commencement time/date is what the user wants, rather than an imposed one, and secondly a high value pass for example can be commenced on a bus in a suburban street, even though that type of ticket cannot be purchased there. This enables users to avoid the necessity of buying single tickets to go to outlets to buy passes.
There are a number of different ways these outcomes can be achieved. Common in Europe, and to a lesser extent in Australia, is the use of date stamping machines. Scratch cards are sometimes used for tickets of shorter duration. In some cases, such as London, for longer duration passes, the desired commencement date is often able to be printed on mechanically at the time of purchase.
The Auckland monthly Discovery Pass does not provide at all well for flexible commencement. The daily pass cannot be purchased in advance, although this of little consequence as it is easily purchased on board. The monthly pass is more problematic. It expires on the last day of a calendar month, rather than one month from the date of commencement. This inflexibility is a serious deterrent to users, particularly in starting to use passes, and in planning travel around holidays and other breaks in regular transport usage.
2. Good staff training
An important aspect of integrated ticketing is that front-line staff are familiar with the system and recognise the validity of the tickets.
My experience of such schemes overseas suggests this is usually not an issue. Sadly, in Auckland, the validity of Discovery Passes seems to be rather too frequently disputed, and a user is well-advised to be prepared with leaflets and a willingness to argue the point. From personal experience I’ve come to the view that it might be a good idea to provide a free accompanying lawyer with every Discovery Pass! The present situation is a significant deterrent, even to determined users such as myself.
3. Easily accessible ticket sales outlets
Purchasing arrangements vary, usually with the value of the ticket — higher-value tickets often only being available for purchase at stations and similar secure cash-handling situations, while lesser value tickets can be usually be purchased onboard vehicles.
Auckland is currently reasonably in alignment with usual practice, but if the use of higher-value integrated tickets is to become more common here, then attention will need to be given to how sales should best be handled, due to a lack of staffed stations and similar secure transport-related outlets. The few such outlets that exist, are open relatively restricted hours. Some operators use shops such as dairies for outlets. There is a network of outlets for the current monthly pass, but the number of outlets is simply not large enough for the establishment of a successful system.
4. Good maps, timetables and other literature
Although local detailed maps and timetables are still needed, a successful integrated ticketing system also needs larger-scale system maps and materials, so that customers can get the bigger picture.
At the moment, system-wide material is completely lacking for bus services in Auckland.
5. Off-peak discounts
Many integrated ticketing systems offer discounted tickets for off-peak use — London and Melbourne both provide good examples of this approach. Amongst other things, such discounts enhance the attractiveness of the system, and provide operators with the opportunity to make better utilisation of vehicles and staff.
Auckland’s Discovery Pass has no off-peak version.
6. Travel from outside the integrated ticketing area
Some integrated ticketing systems, eg London and Sydney, provide for tickets for travel from outside the integrated ticketing area, to be added on to an integrated pass for use within the area, enabling travellers to use a single ticket, and avoid double-paying for travel from the area boundary.
Auckland’s Discovery Pass does not offer this feature.
7. Provision of bonus benefits
A few integrated ticketing schemes provide bonus benefits to card holders. For example, the annual London Travelcard allows for substantial discounts on travel outside of London, and for the discounted purchase of one-day cards for accompanying friends and family within London.
No bonus benefits are currently available with the Auckland Discovery Pass.
Conclusions
The Auckland Discovery Pass provides a good starting point for the application of integrated ticketing in Auckland. However, there are some major issues that need to be addressed before it can take its place alongside well-established integrated ticketing systems overseas.
The following issues, in particular, need to be focussed on:-
- The introduction of a zonal structure.
- The introduction of a greater range of ticket durations, and the provision for much more flexibility in commencement.
- The introduction of a concessionary fare structure and an off-peak fare structure.
- The clarification of the presently confused marketing image, redesign of the poorly-targeted logo, and their wider application.
- Much improved staff training and monitoring to ensure that the present high level of incorrect challenges of ticket users by drivers is reduced to internationally acceptable levels, ie zero.