MPTE Walrus Smart Card

[First Class]

RE: MPTE Walrus Smart Card
Forum members will be pleased to note that a Pay and Go WALRUS is definitely on the way.

"ITSO Validators" for such a scheme, which are placed on stations and gatelines, in order to identify the start/end point of a journey, have been ordered for Merseyrail and Northern. £120,000 going into Merseyrail stations and £90,000 into Northern. There is now an aspiration to gate as many stations in Merseyside where it is likely to be "financially viable".

Lime Street mainline platforms (1-6) will be getting gated this year, and all "local" trains will be scheduled to depart from these platforms.

Merseytravel will be increasing the frequency of revenue protection exercises conducted within Merseyside, specifically on tendered bus services, (particularly on some smaller operators were staff fraud is high).

I would encourage forum members to become active in your community with regards to public transport. The Merseytravel Strategy and Finance Committee is primarily responsible for the smart card development, and do review and consider all comments received. These comments are discussed at monthly meetings with operator representitives, Councillors, semior management and occasionally DfT reps.