Land of Baden-Württemberg

In 2001, the principal German Transit Authorities and transport operators decided to adopt, develop and implement a nationwide, interoperable standard. This public transport core application standard became the benchmark for all the management tools and electronic fare equipment in Germany.

In 2006, Schwäbisch-Hall became the first district in Germany to develop and launch (with Veolia Transport acting as a partner in the pilot scheme) a ticketing system using this standard on a smartcard - the card is called the KolibriCard. This new ticketing system has been 50% financed by the Land of Baden-Württemberg.

For Stadtbus Schwäbisch Hall and Veolia Transport, it involved :

• replacing the existing obsolete system by switching from paper-based technology to a contactless system for those customers who travelled occasionally;
• saving time and resources by reducing the proportion of sales transactions conducted by drivers (one trip and multi-trip tickets);
• supporting KreisVerkehr Schwäbisch-Hall in managing an automated fare collection system project: the tariff is calculated on the basis of usage (origin - destination) then deducted from the amount pre-charged on the customer's card;
• guaranteeing the success of the KolibriCard and winning passengers acceptances of the check-in/check-out validating system.

The KreisVerkehr Schwäbisch-Hall (KSH), is a body that is owned 50/50 by the district of Schwäbisch-Hall and local transport operators. Stadtbus Schwäbisch Hall (SSH), subsidiary of Veolia Transport was the partner in the pilot scheme.

• A team dedicated to supporting the project: team of 3 people (operations manager, marketing manager and dispatcher) to accompany KSH and the industrial partner (Höft & Wessel).
• Coordination by SSH of customer relations and development of the ticketing system for all operators in the district.

• Quick transition: there was a short overlap period with the old ticketing system.
• Launch by SSH of a WiFi communication system, ensuring the rapid transfer of ticketing data from the bus to the central server, managed by KSH.
• Automatic collection of revenue, securing customer payments and revenue sharing (clearing house) managed by KSH.
• Statistical analysis of data, allowing greater reactivity in the development of services, pricing, implementation of parameters and more consideration for the mobility needs of customers and inhabitants.

• A unique pass (KolibriCard) allowing greater accessibility to the entire transport network of buses and trains in the district.
• Simplicity of use, linked to automatic fare calculation and electronic payment for the journey. When the credit on the card reaches a minimum limit, a deduction is made from the customer's bank account in order to reload the KolibriCard.
• Customer-oriented approach, SSH used journey statistics to propose a ticket that was adapted to the needs of customer mobility by means of customer mailings (with the customer's prior consent) and compliance with German law.