A one-time check-in at stations across the Netherlands
Why don’t we use a one-time check-in? It would be easier for people, surely, nothing more frustrating than that *boop* and the massive iron gate staying shut, how embarrassing. If only you could check in once and travel between metro, bus, intercity and tram lines in the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, the current ticketing system will not change. The reason being? It’s just too damn expensive. It has been revealed that the aforementioned proposal would be “too expensive”. Total cost would be 22 million euros for installation and maintenance costs of up to 7.7 million each year after. State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven of Infrastructure and Water Management wrote to parliament that it was “too expensive for now” and remained optimistic that single a check-in service via an app may be possible in the near future.
Implementing a one-time travel check-in at stations across the Netherlands was promised by the previous government of 2015, following Twede Kamer urging them to do so. The argument for a single check-in arose from customers frequently being overcharged for mistakes made when traveling.
In 2017 a total of 400 million train journeys were made, and in only 211 thousand cases a wrong check-in pole was used. It’s useful to look at the data of passengers using the wrong gate and people seem to change their actions accordingly. Public transport authorities are aware of the issue while equally aware of the expense required of a system overhaul.
What’s the most you’ve ever paid on public transport? Leave a comment!