It happened - perhaps not quite the way it was predicted to... but it still happened on time...
By silicon.com
Published: 4 May 2004 12:40 GMT
04.05.99: Over 45 million smartcards will be used for electronic ticketing on public transport by 2003, according to the latest research from Datamonitor.
The market research group's report claims the days of queuing to buy tickets could soon be over, with customers using rechargeable smartcards with embedded computer chips.
The report places the UK and France at the head of the race to implement smartcard e-ticketing. However, the lack of industry standards threatens to hold back development. Uncertainty surrounding government and European legislation on interoperability could cause manufacturing problems, the report claims.
04.05.04: Many Londoners have been using their Oyster Cards since 2003 - proving there was actually some truth behind the predicted date mentioned.
However, the Oyster Card is far from ubiquitous, with many commuters (this one included) still preferring to stick with 'good old fashioned' paper tickets.
It has also not been without its hitches. In January, the Liberal Democrats highlighted what they believed was a serious hitch with the card, which enables users to simply swipe in and out of tube and rail station ticket gates or onto buses.
The cards can be topped up online and remove the need to queue up at a machine or ticket window.
However, another issue that has worried some privacy groups concerns the data stored about individuals using the cards.
An Oyster Card can report every journey the user has made through the public network - though this may be of more interest to a partner in Clapham who suspects their other half is cheating in Ealing than criminals set on more serious invasions of privacy.
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Anonymous
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