SmartRider just the ticket

Smartrider, Perth's public transport integrated ticketing system, is the leading contender in the process to introduce a smartcard system in New Zealand.

Auckland, NZ's largest city, is seeking a suitable technology that will replace the four different smartcard systems currently in place, which are administered by four different operators.

The project manager for the Auckland integrated ticketing smartcard project, Greg Ellis, said that while the tender process was still under way, SmartRider system was a leading contender.

"Without a doubt, Perth's system is one of the world's best," Mr Ellis told WA Business News.

"Perth could be a good reference for the system which Auckland implements, and may even provide a blueprint for our city."

Downer EDI Engineering, which implemented the Perth system on behalf of technology contractor, Wayfarer, already has technology in place in Auckland's transport system.

"Downer is one of a number of consortiums being considered for the contract, and we don't want a consortium that's inexperienced," Mr Ellis said.

"We're hoping to implement a consortium to deliver results similar to those in Perth."

Downer EDI Engineering received multiple awards for the SmartRider system at the 2008 National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) Excellence Awards for Western Australia held last week.

It won the Voice/Data Large Project and Commercial Large Project awards for the fare collection system, implemented under contract for the Public Transport Authority in WA.

"We're looking for the most reliable and most effective system that poses the least risk in terms of successful implementation into our current public transport network," Mr Ellis said.

"While the SmartRider system was really the first implementation of smartcard technology, we may take the best aspects of the SmartRider system and then blend them with other technologies from systems found in the US, Europe and Asia.

"But we don't necessarily want the latest and greatest technology as that creates more risk.

"We're happy to let other markets, such as the US and Asia, take greater risks with their own systems while we take existing technologies off the shelf for our own use."

Integrated ticketing systems have become a popular feature of public transport in many cities around the world but have often been plagued by problems and delays.

Listed company ERG, which has its major operations centre at Balcatta, lost heavily from its attempts to introduce systems, particularly in Sydney.

The NSW government and ERG are currently involved in legal action over the proposed electronic ticketing, known as TCard.

The NSW government is seeking to regain losses of about $90 million for the failed project, while ERG has counter-sued for upwards of $200 million in compensation for termination of the contract.

Downer EDI said in a statement that unsuccessful projects appeared to be over-ambitious.

"The important lesson was to keep things as simple as possible, sticking to the task of providing the core requirements of the specification," the company said.

Up to 70 per cent of public transport commuters in Perth now use smartcard tickets.

Other WA winners at the NECA excellence awards included Hamilton Hill company Trifield Electrical Engineering in the 'small contracting business' category.

Trifield won the award for a re-fit of Cockburn Cement's manufacturing facilities, to accommodate the use of coal as an alternative fuel to gas.

Canning Vale-based Electrical Construction & Maintenance won the 'industrial' category for its work for Fortescue Metals Group's Point Anderson port facilities.

AB Tilbury of Bayswater won the 'commercial medium project' award thanks to its work on a new lecture theatre at Edith Cowan University in Joondalup.

NECA chief executive Peter Tuck said the winning projects were both innovative and diverse.

"This was another year where a skills shortage was often listed as a project challenge, and it is particularly pleasing to see a strong field of electrical apprentices acknowledged this year as well," Mr Tuck said