The Local Authority Smartcard Standards e-Organisation and Itso, the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation, have reached a technical agreement on travel cards.
It has been claimed the move will lay the ground for councils to plan and implement additional services, following a period of uncertainty caused by Itso's changes to the accreditation requirements for cards.
The Smart Card Networking Forum (SCNF) — the grouping of local authority representatives in the field — has begun to promote the new specification to encourage councils to explore the potential for using concessionary travel cards more widely for purposes such as library and leisure-centre access.
Kevin Farquharson, co-chair of the SCNF, told GC News that the uncertainty arose when Itso indicated that from the beginning of next year it would change the specification for accreditation because of concerns over the security of the Mifare 4K card, which is used by more than 90 percent of local authorities.
It has now agreed on a new specification for the Desfire card, paving the way for it to be taken up in the new year. The specification includes basic cardholder information, cash collection, parking, identity, e-purse and entitlement.
Both cards are manufactured under licence from Philips, which holds the intellectual-property rights. The SCNF said the Desfire card is more secure, has 4KB or 8KB of storage, plus additional security features that can be used in the future.
"From 2010, if somebody needs a replacement card or they have just qualified to have one they will probably get a Desfire card," Farquharson said. "It will probably take about five years to renew the whole system."
He said that it will be possible for people to continue using their old cards, but that "now councils know what is needed for new issues and can see if they need to do something for which it is unclear with existing cards".
He added: "It gives them a basis on which to plan and implement things they didn't have before."
His co-chair Steve Beecroft commented: "This is good news in the current economic climate and SCNF anticipates some interesting and cost-effective uses for smart cards will be developed over the next few years."
The news has, however, received a more cautious reaction from a leading analyst in the field. Alan Mo, senior analyst with Kable, said it removes one barrier to the wider use of the card but that others remain.
"I think local authorities have also held back because of cost, and funding issues could still limit the roll out in small, non-urban authorities," he said. "Also, I doubt this will extend to all modes of transport as there's little incentive for train operating companies to implement.
"From a passenger perspective, it should appeal because there's less to carry. On the other hand, they risk the inconvenience of losing access to a range of services if they lose their card."
