MPTE Walrus Smart Card

[First Class]

RE: MPTE walrus smart card
The All Zone TRIO is already for sale at Merseytravel ticket centres and is working without any problems whatsoever, (other than letting people travel to Chester/Ormskirk/Ellesmere Port when not supposed to).

The All Zone Railpass will be being sold at selected rail stations in Spring 2013.

ITSO is a very reliable technology, and improvements are continually in development. Millions of bus ITSO passes are in circulation in the form of OAP and Disabled concession passes.

The problem with Merseytravel was that instead of just sticking with one supplier/manufacturer for all ITSO/Walrus related equipment, they went for the cheapest, resulting in a variety of manufacturers.

They should have stuck with one experienced supplier, (i.e. Cubic Transportation), for all equipment, (which to be fair is quite expensive, but you get what you pay for) rather than just going for the cheapest they can find.

This will get brought in sooner rather than later, because the DfT, Merseytravel and the Operators will be keen to reduce certain costs, especially relating to employment of staff.