Swift Parking just got Swifter with Cammax

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has taken another step forward in their bid to develop an integrated travel network across the region with the launch of a hybrid parking payment system at Bromsgrove railway station.

The system developed in partnership with Cammax, a leading provider of self-service solutions, was designed to allow members of the public to combine payment for parking alongside travel costs and is another step in the region's development of Mobility as a Service (MaaS).

(MaaS) relates to various forms of transport services that are combined into a single mobility service that is accessible on demand. The aim of MaaS is to make it easier to facilitate passenger travel on a wide range of transport options, be they public transport or even bike-sharing.

TfWM is keen to invest in MaaS because it uses a single application to provide access to mobility, with a single payment channel being made available to the public, instead of multiple ticketing and payment operations.

As part of the drive to develop MaaS, which has now extended to parking payment, one of the key objectives for TfWM has also been to provide customers with a fully integrated way to pay for their travel costs.

Now customers at Bromsgrove Station will be able to pay for parking with their ‘Swift cards’, as well as modern payment methods including contactless card payment.

The Swift Card adopts the ITSO electronic ticketing system that is used across the country ( aside from London who operate their own Oyster system).

ITSO Smart ticketing is a system that stores a travel ticket on a microchip, which is then usually embedded on a smartcard like the Swift card. ITSO smartcards allow passengers of public transport to seamlessly hop on and off buses, trams or trains without having to use traditional payment systems like cash or a purchasing a paper ticket. 

Following the Bromsgrove initiative, Swift card users will benefit from discounted parking tariff charges and they can simply enter their vehicle registration and tap their Swift card to pay at the parking machine on their way to the station platform, removing the need to return to the vehicle and display a ticket.

Councillor Ken Pollock, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure for Worcestershire County Council, said, “This is great for commuters in Bromsgrove who now have more convenient ways to pay for their parking and can use the same card on buses, trains and trams.”

Swift isn’t the first Smart transport scheme Cammax has worked with to enhance travel in Britain. The West Yorkshire based brand has also helped improve operations in both York, Nottingham and Bristol with tens of thousands of Smartcards registered across these systems offering integrated travel.