What role for smart-card data from bus systems?

Abstract

This paper examines whether data, generated from smart cards used for bus travel, can be put forward as a replacement for, or a complement to, existing transport data sources. Smart-card data possess certain advantages over existing bus ticket machine data and some sample data sources, allowing them to be used for a range of analysis applications that transport service providers may previously have been unable to or found difficult to undertake. To this end, as a new transport data source, the paper firstly reviews the nature of smart-card data. The paper then goes on to examine the impact of smart-card data in relation to two case studies - one concerning its impact on the data collection process and one looking at the impact on travel behaviour analysis.