Farewell to the ‘strippenkaart’ in Amsterdam City Region Stadsregio

The minister of Transport and Traffic accepted to put an end to the validity of the paper ticket system for paying in bus, tram and metro in the Amsterdam region transport network, the well-known “strippenkaart”. After a dual phase of over a year all travellers will have to have either a personalised or an anonymous smartcard to pay their public transport trip.

Infrequent travellers, such as tourists, will still be able to buy a single fare ticket on the bus or tram or in the metrostation, next to the option to purchase a (multiday
ticket (24/48/72/96) through ticket offices and at the desk of larger hotels.

Operators in the region where already prepared to make the shift to the new check in - check out system, but the minister had to await results of a survey ordered by the Parliament on the effects on prices of the general use of the new OV-chip card.

A specially installed commission approved the decision making process and stated that the calculation to ensure a so-called cost neutral tariff system in the Stadsregio had been thorough and robust. Stadsregio and its operators are now working on a comprehensive and full-scale information process to make sure everyone in the Stadsregio using public
transport is fully informed and availability of the OV-chip card is maximised.

According to the current planning, the OV-chip card will be functional in the whole country by the beginning of 2011, so from then on travellers will use the OV-chip card on all public transport modes in the Netherlands, including the
regional and national railways.

For more: www.stadsregioamsterdam.nl