Shaping the future of the ITSO Specification

Last week ITSO members came together for workshops focused around a major piece of work – a new release of the ITSO Specification, which is vital to continue to deliver smart, integrated and seamless ticketing across the UK, and to better meet the needs of operating members’ ticketing schemes.

One of our primary concerns is interoperability. The transport industry is constantly looking at ways to innovate and add value to its passengers. And the ITSO Specification, fundamentally the technical bible our members use to create smart ticketing schemes, is at the heart of this. It provides a platform for the implementation of highly secure, smart ticketing schemes which make public transport more convenient, flexible and easier to use.

There has been a huge amount of work carried out in recent years to prepare for this update and ensure the ITSO Specification remains fit for purpose, as technology develops, and the needs of passengers grow.

The workshops focused on operational issues that need to be raised and worked through possible solutions, and technical workshops, focusing on technical issues to be addressed from the current version. Feedback from these workshops has been added to a Specification Backlog, which will require further engagement with ITSO members to indicate their preference and support for these future requirements.

Over the course of this year technical consultation for V 2.1.5 will be discussed by the ITSO Technical Committee before the new ITSO Specification update is drafted early next year. By summer 2020 it will be formally published, with testing and certification updated.

As a not-for-profit membership organisation, it is the views of our members that will steer the future of the ITSO Specification and of smart ticketing in the UK, and we truly value the feedback of all who are taking part in this consultation.