Skip to main content

MoU is first step towards an EU intelligent fare management alliance

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday by representatives of the organisations for technical specifications of VDV KA (Germany), ITSO (UK), AFIMB (France) and Calypso Network Association together with representatives of UITP (International Association of Public Transport).
March 13, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday by representatives of the organisations for technical specifications of 3837 VDV KA (Germany), 3836 ITSO (UK), AFIMB (France) and 3835 Calypso Network Association together with representatives of UITP (3833 International Association of Public Transport). The MoU presents a platform for cooperation and a way forward to establish a European Alliance for developing European transport ticketing interoperability. It was signed at the IT-TRANS conference organised by UITP and KMK (3834 Karlsruher Messe-und Kongress GmbH).

Yesterday also saw another major step forward in making transport ticketing across parts of Europe simpler and easier for passengers. An EU IFM (integrated fare management) Alliance is proposed to be set up and supported by the EU Commission that creates a trust scheme for public transport smartcards that mirrors the trust schemes in the mobile phone and banking industries.

Once the EU-IFM Alliance has been created and is operational, there are plans for a pilot be created to test the portal, the trust scheme and the necessary compliance of smartcards as they interoperate between transport schemes and across mobile phone networks and with bankcards.

The electronic ticketing issue features strongly in the EU ITS agenda, being included in the white paper on transport strategy, the ITS directive and a priority for DG Move Urban ITS expert group. It also addresses the challenge by EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas to be able to access public transportation wherever you are in Europe and to hold all your ticketing in a single smart wallet.

Related Content

  • New European industry freight initiative launched
    March 28, 2012
    Yesterday, the industry-led initiative formerly known as SmartWay Europe was launched under the new name Green Freight Europe. Founder members of the group comprise over 30 companies, including multinational shippers, carriers, retailers and associations. The group aims to establish Green Freight Europe as the leading independent voluntary programme for improving environmental performance of road freight transport in Europe. The launch event took place in Brussels in the presence of European Commission Vice
  • UITP and APTA cooperate on mobility training
    October 9, 2018
    Two public transit associations are to cooperate on training around electric buses and new mobility services as part of a new agreement. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) have signed a memorandum of understanding which will see them identifying training programmes on other issues going forward. UITP and APTA said they would work together, “where possible, to organise joint events on topics of common interest to the benefit of
  • Promoting cycling is the solution to congestion and pollution
    August 20, 2015
    Cycling offers health, air quality and road space/parking benefits, promoting governments and the EU to look at tax and technology initiatives. David Crawford reports. One way to improve urban air quality is to make green alternatives to car use financially attractive. Incentivising employees to switch their travel-to-work mode to using their own bikes could increase cycling’s modal share of commuting travel by 50%, a recent French research project suggests. The country’s government already subsidises pu
  • Include ITS in policy decisions from the start, not as an afterthought
    February 1, 2012
    DG TREN's Fotis Karamitsos, on why the European Commission's new ITS Action Plan is looking to the past for future direction. The European Commission's (EC's) new Action Plan for the Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in Europe, which was announced as 2008 drew to a close, intends that transport and travel become 'cleaner; more efficient, including energy efficient; and safer and more secure'. At first sight, that wording might be interpreted as marking a significant policy shift within Europe, wit