Valenciennes, France--While dwarfed in size by Hong Kong's "octopus" card described in the February 1998 International Focus column, the contactless and rechargeable "Trans-carte" recently introduced in the Valenciennes region north of Paris serves an initial batch of 24,000 users both as farecard and electronic purse.
Phased into service by SEM, the regional transit authority, Transcarte is truly multimodal. It already can be used on buses, regional commuter trains of SNCF (the national rail carrier), and in the municipal parking lots of Valenciennes. Negotiations are underway to have it accepted for payment of other local services such as school lunches, library charges, the city-run swimming pools, and even the local movie houses.
Unlike some other chip cards, the French version is personalized with a photo of the user and also can serve for identification purposes. It is read in less than one-fifth of a second when swept across or held in proximity to a small, streamlined sensor mounted aboard the buses and trains that are part of the system, and it is "loaded" in increments of 250 francs (equivalent to $45).
In case of loss or theft, the card can be deactivated quickly and a new one issued to the user. The remaining value can be checked and the card "recharged" at 125 sales outlets in the region.
The effort to bring the system on line took several years and the equivalent of $8 million. About a third of the cost of the project came from subsidies by higher levels of government, including the European Union.
Besides being convenient for the user, the information stored by the Transcarte also serves the transit authority for data collection on passenger flows, line use, rush hour loads, etc. These data are used by planners in reviews that bring about service changes in line with perceived needs of the traveling public.
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