Electronic tickets for smarter travel
Electronic travel tickets are the key to networking different modes of transportation. This week, Siemens presents its eTicketing system at the ITS World Congress in Vienna. The system will demonstrate how easy it is to organize and invoice an individualized trip with a smartcard. Travelers are only billed for the routes they actually use, and the invoice covers everything from train tickets to the cost of parking cars or renting bicycles. By making local public transport more attractive, cities can ensure that people will continue to be mobile in the future, while protecting the environment and reducing traffic jams and the associated costs. However, complicated fee systems, a variety of transport providers, and, last but not least, a lack of small change often deter people from using local public transportation. If buses and trains are to become a viable alternative to cars, public transportation solutions have to be convenient and...