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Formerly called | Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation |
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ITSO Ltd is a non-profit membership organisation assisting standardisation of public transport ticketing in the United Kingdom.[1]
Its objectives are to:
- maintain and develop the ITSO specification for transport smart cards
- operate and manage an interoperable smart media environment
- facilitate and support development of smart ticketing schemes that comply with the ITSO specification.
ITSO was established as a result of discussions between various UK passenger transport authorities concerning the lack of standards for interoperable smart card ticketing. These discussions grew to include other authorities, transport operators and government. ITSO membership covers the breadth of the transport sector including transport operators (bus, tram and train operating companies), suppliers to the industry, local authorities and public transport executives. Supported by the Department for Transport, ITSO has links with major transport industry organisations and established smart card schemes in the UK and overseas.
ITSO started out as the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation but this name has been dropped and is now just 'ITSO'. That is because the specification covers other forms of ticketing besides smartcards and transport.
The Department for Transport introduced in 2008 the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme for all people of retirement age and eligible disabled persons (according to the Transport Acts 1985 and 2000) using buses, which uses ITSO smart cards. Transport Scotland and the Welsh Government have implemented ITSO in their concessionary travel schemes.
- ^ House of Commons Transport Committee (2006–2007). The Draft Local Transport Bill and the Transport Innovation Fund: ninth report of session 2006-07: Volume II. London: TSO (The Stationery Office). pp. 8 of 367. ISBN 9780215035851.