Its been discussed to death here over the years. But perhaps this article from
www.informer.ie last December explains where we are at in very simple and understandable terms.
Its currently a case of 2010 rather than 2009.
Quote:
INTEGRATED TICKETING
By Derek Wheeler
The concept of integrated ticketing for public transport in Dublin was first mooted in the late 1990s. In 2000, Mary O’Rourke the then Public Enterprise Minister, approved the introduction of a smartcard system, to be in place by 2002. A smartcard essentially allows you to prepay on the card and then use it to travel on all Luas, rail and bus services in the Dublin area. However by 2002 the system was not in place and it wasn’t until the Luas was launched in 2004 that smartcards were introduced. But these particular cards were only valid on the Luas and a private bus operator. In effect it wasn’t integrated ticketing in any meaningful manner.
The RPA (Rail Procurement Agency) in 2002, were entrusted with the setting up of an integrated ticketing system for Dublin’s public transport network. At the time commentators expressed shock and bewilderment that an organisation such as the RPA should have responsibility for such a project. In essence the RPA was to oversee the development of Luas and Metro through public private partnerships. Loading the concept of integrating ticketing onto its back seemed to make no sense.
The passing of time has proven that assessment to be rather correct. Since the establishment of the RPA in 2002, the integrating ticketing project has stumbled into near oblivion. As things stand, The RPA operates a very limited version of the smartcard on the Luas. Dublin Bus is developing their own version and low and behold, it was announced this week that Irish Rail are launching their own smartcard. So effectively we have the 3 main providers of public transport in Dublin operating on individual stand alone smartcard systems. The only saving grace is that each of them insists that they can be made work together.
Tim Gaston who is director of the “Integrated Ticketing Project board” stated this week that, “the RPA hoped to launch limited integration with the "smartcard" for use on both Luas and rail services in September 2009, but a fully integrated card for all journeys on any type of public transport and some private buses would not be available for at least a year after that.”
So the wait goes on, while individual transport providers plan ahead and nobody appears to be really managing the project with any sense of reality. A projected date of 2010 for the roll out of integrated ticketing in Dublin is open to debate, doubt and perhaps disbelief.
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