Budget 2015: Transport for the North and Smart Ticketing
Published on 9th Jul 2015
Transport for the North and Smart Ticketing
George Osborne’s seventh budget confirmed £30 million of funding over three years for Transport for the North (TfN).
Bringing about the ‘Northern Powerhouse’
Earlier this year TfN was established to bring together the Government, transport agencies and northern city regions in order to create the first ever comprehensive transport strategy for the region, covering roads, rail, freight, airports and smart ticketing. This announcement comes following the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North’s recommendation from its March 2015 report for the Government to fund TfN. There’s a lot that needs to be done to make it happen but it’s an essential part of bringing about the Northern Powerhouse we hear so much about. Establishing the body TfN is a great first step.
What exactly is a Noyster?
It’s great to see smart ticketing become a reality beyond London. It’s easy to forget how much Oyster has changed our world. Now major northern cities will get a piece of the action across their buses, trams, metro and rail services. The budget announcement and the IPPR North’s report both put smart ticketing high on TfN’s agenda and describe it as being key to improving public transport in the North. TfN will also be focussing on making transport information available to the public via a single source, such as an app. Simplifying the fare structure is another key goal. The Government’s announcement describes TfN’s proposed smart ticketing arrangements as “seamless oyster-style ticketing”. Many commentators are already referring to this as the “Noyster”, whilst others are keen to move away from a system similar to Oyster and for more advanced technology to be adopted. The IPPR North’s report suggest that a number of ticketing systems from across the world should be reviewed in detail before any smart ticketing system is put in place.
The budget provides funding over the next three years, whilst the IPPR North’s Report sets out a recommended 10 year blueprint for achieving TfN’s various strategy objectives. The report tables smart ticketing for a planning phase during 2015 to 2017, with implementation during 2017 to 2020.
