Proof of Evidence of Mr James Willcock

Document Reference Number OA/13
Proof of Evidence of Mr James Willcock
7 SMARTCARD TICKETING SUB-REGIONAL PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT
7.1 The four councils established a joint Smartcard Project Board and Management
Team in 2010. The Board started by defining the base specification for an area
wide ITSO smartcard back office, known as the Host Operator Processing System
(HOPS), and a Customer Management System (CMS) to handle the card, ticket
product and customer data. South Gloucestershire Council took the lead in
procuring the HOPS and CMS via a full OJEU process, and this is managed in
partnership with South West Smart Applications Ltd (SWSAL), the regional not-forprofit
company set up, and jointly owned by the 15 Highway Authorities of the SW,
and the largest 18 bus operators.
7.2 The ticket retail strategy for the BRT network is in line with DfT guidance and the
2011 Local Transport White Paper aspirations, by seeking to build upon our existing
ITSO ticketing architecture via the sub-regional HOPS and CMS. This is already
supported by all of the commercial and tendered service operators of the West of
England who will all be ITSO compliant by the summer of 2011. ITSO is a
Government-backed, non-profit organisation which defines and develops the UKwide
technical specification for smart ticketing.
7.3 The strategy is to take the current ITSO platform and to build on this further and
incorporate EMV capability (EMV is the Europay, MasterCard and VISA - global
standard for the inter-operation of contact and contactless credit and debit
account transactions) where appropriate. By utilising a combination of both ITSO
for interoperable ticketing products and smartcard payments via an E-Purse, with
the convenience of EMV for single operator journey payment, the ticket retail
strategy will provide the best solution for maximising off bus transactions and
reducing bus stop dwell times.
7.4 With the HOPS & CMS already procured through OJEU by the West of England
Partners; with SWSAL providing the scheme with access through an OJEU procured
Framework Contract for retail ITSO Point of Sale Terminals (POSTS) and Ticket
Machines (ETMS); and with B&NES providing the ITSO E-money platform, the core
areas of new procurement for the retail strategy will be:
ITSO Smartcards;
On-Street Ticket Validating Machines;
EMV Back Office System;
Technical Consultancy Support; and
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