Following the latest successful collaboration between Cammax and TfWM (Transport for West Midlands), which led to the development and rollout of the cutting-edge Cammax Swift Ticket Vending machine (TVM) at Bus Stations throughout the West Midlands, Cammax are delighted to announce that this system has been shortlisted for the prestigious National Transport Award for Excellence in Technology.
The National Transport Awards is supported by the Department for Transport and Transport Focus.
This year, the 19th Annual instalment of the awards will celebrate the successes that have been achieved on so many national and local transport projects. As always, the National Transport Awards demand that any project shortlisted for an accolade must demonstrate to the judging panel the tangible results they’ve achieved, improving the experience for transport users and ultimately adding to the successful development of the nation’s transport infrastructure.
Cammax and TfWM have earned national recognition for their latest project because the Swift Ticket Vending Machine forms part of a truly innovative and pioneering Photo Smart Card vending system, that is the first of its kind in the UK.
Swift is the largest smartcard scheme outside London. Over 4 million journeys are made using a Swift card every month in the West Midlands and that figure is growing. With clear evidence that take-up of the Swift card is increasing and introduction of 24-7 transport services in the region, TfWM needed to consider their retail channels and how customers go about buying public transport smart tickets outside of normal office hours.
TfWM recognised that not every customer will have a mobile device or want to use a mobile device to purchase and validate their fare and as such smartcards continue to be an important part of the fares and payments offer.
In an environment where Transport Operators in the West Midlands (TfWM) require photocards for season tickets greater than 7 days, TfWM knew the solution had to include taking a customer’s photo. Working with Cammax, TfWM created a brand new concept for a Ticket Vending Machine which takes the customers photograph and prints the ITSO smartcard. The whole process, from having chosen their product, getting their photo taken and paying for it takes 60 seconds. This vending machine is the first of its type in the UK.
The original pilot Swift Ticket Vending Machine at Wolverhampton Bus Station vends and tops-up Swift cards, generating 2% of all Swift sales, equating to hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fares. Its popularity demonstrated the customer’s preference for instant, 24/7 accessibility to Swift and tickets, rather than being restricted to the Travel Centres’ 0900 to 1700 opening times. Following the success of the Wolverhampton machine, TfWM have now installed further machines across the region, with a plan for additional units before the end of 2019.
The main benefit being that customers can get their Swift season photocards at any time – 24-7 at any of these locations, they can also use these machines to buy new or collect renewal tickets purchased online, as well as purchasing multi-day (carnet) and Pay As You Go tickets/cards.
These machines revolutionise the way in which TfWM and National Express West Midlands operate Travel Centres. Customers using the self-serving vending machines reduces queues in the Travel Centre, meaning staff are free to provide more hands- on support for customer’s other needs.
The 2019 National Transport Awards ceremony will take place at the Westminster Park Plaza, London, on 31st October 2019 where all the winners across the various different categories will be announced.
To find out more about the event, including details about the running order and how to attend please visit www.transporttimes.co.uk