ABSTRACT
A B S T R A C T In this chapter, an overview on opportunities and challenges for the use of smart card data for public transport planning is provided. As an introduction to the topic examples of customer services that have become feasible due to smart cards are discussed. These include smart card as a general payment method for a wide range of services, pricing caps as well as “loyalty points”. For operators, smart cards provide opportunities such as revised fare structure. The focus of this chapter and this book in general is on the benefits that emerge through better understanding of customer behavioural patterns for short and longer term service planning. This chapter also points out that in practice smart card data are though not yet as much used as one might expect given these opportunities. As explanation for this challenges connected to big data issues, privacy and missing information are discussed. The chapter concludes by providing an overview on the contributions in this book.
