Despite being three years since Transport for Greater Manchester contracted digital services leader Atos to provide the city with a smart ticketing scheme, northern commuters are still categorically card-less.
Are ‘smart’ cards even smart anymore?
Following the company’s failure to design, build and operate said scheme, TfGM have finally ditched their agreement with Atos (who are expected to fork out ‘substantial compensation’) and are looking for alternative providers amidst disbelief that it took them so ludicrously long.
Whilst the dubiously titled ‘Get Me There’ was introduced in October last year to a limited 500,000 concessionary Metrolink users, it’s getting nowhere very fast and remains a sickly sibling of its southern Oyster counterpart.
With subsequent plans to extend to bus and rail as yet unrealised, a senior minister has insisted the farce is a temporary blip amidst reassurances of “an integrated smart ticketing scheme", one "flexible and fit for the future".
But can TfGM's promises of a 'world class transport network' be taken seriously after such buffoonery? Can a card called ‘Get Me There’ ever be acceptable? And, most importantly, why will half the sodding Metrolink ticket machines still not recognise our fingers?
Get me there on Metrolink from get me there on Vimeo.
A gander at London’s Tube scene suggests integrating contactless and smart payments is TfGM’s biggest issue. As a queue-free option that ironically works out cheaper in PAYG terms, contactless is on track to conquer the outdated Oyster, begging the question: ‘Are ‘smart’ cards even smart anymore?’
A TfGM spokesman said: “The world of technology is moving faster than any of us could have anticipated [...] today’s smart card already looks destined to be overtaken by contactless payments and mobile apps on smart phones.”
In other words, there’s no more time to faff around.
With time and technology (and taxpayer’s dosh) of the essence, and over 31 million journeys made on Metrolink alone, let’s hope the panel of ‘experts’ bought in by TfGM ensure a viable solution is on the cards sharpish; whether smart or otherwise.
