Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In March 2002, the Railway Procurement Agency was given statutory responsibility, under SI No. 84 of 2002, for the delivery of a multi-operator system of integrated ticketing. A subsequent departmental mandate to the agency set out the policy context. The proposed contactless smartcard-based integrated ticketing system will enable a passenger to use a ticket on one or more scheduled public transport services, by road and by rail, irrespective of the transport operator involved. It will be introduced on a phased basis, initially in the Dublin area. Pursuant to the departmental mandate, a project plan for a contactless smartcard-based integrated ticketing system was agreed with the agency. The project plan for the delivery of integrated ticketing consists of four key distinct phases. The first phase, the economic evaluation of the project, has been completed. The second phase, the definition of the integrated ticketing system, incorporating design, has been carried out in consultation with the stakeholders and the public. The third phase, the procurement process, commenced in 2004. The target dates for the implementation of the fourth phase, the installation and commissioning of the system, are under discussion following the inconclusive procurement procedure.

Since its establishment in 2002, the Department of Transport has overseen this project through a monthly monitoring committee, comprising officials and Railway Procurement Agency staff. The agency established the integrated ticketing scheme unit to deal specifically with the delivery of the system. The project team chairs a steering committee comprising representatives of Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Irish Rail, Luas, the Coach Tourism and Transport Council for private licensed bus operators, the Dublin Transportation Office, as well as officials from the Departments of Social and Family Affairs and Transport. The agency participates in various working groups with the transport operators and others. It contracted TNS MRBI to undertake a public consultation a view to obtaining consumer input on the development of integrated ticketing. The results of the survey affirmed the validity of the departmental mandate to the agency, as it found that there is significant demand for integrated ticketing.

The phased roll-out of integrated ticketing using smartcard technology is taking place in line with international experience. Such systems have been or are being deployed in cities, regions and countries throughout Europe and the world, including London, Paris, Hong Kong, Washington DC, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands and Denmark. In April 2004 a private operator, Morton's Coaches, in conjunction with the Railway Procurement Agency and as a "proof of concept", successfully launched smartcards on its services. Last March, another step was taken with the launch of smartcards on Luas services. The Luas smartcard deployment is helping to obtain important feedback from passengers and to provide operational experience for the next stage of integrated ticketing. Approximately 1,000 smart cards are being used by customers of Morton's Coaches and some 8,500 smart cards are in use on Luas services.

Some €8.536 million of Exchequer funds has been spent on integrated ticketing since the RPA was appointed to undertake the project. Some €349,000 was spent on the first phase — project appraisal and related activities — in 2002. Some €3.615 million was spent on the second phase — the national design of integrated ticketing, including the proof of concept with Morton's Coaches, the public consultation and related activities — between 2003 and mid-2004. Some €4.572 million has been spent on the third phase of the project — procurement, incorporating the Luas smart card deployment and system integration work to facilitate multi-operator and multi-equipment supplier support for the project, and related activities — since 2004.