25 years: When Berlin was at the forefront with electronic transport tickets
In 1999, Berlin's BVG piloted the Tick.et, which was intended to compete with Suica, Octopus and Oyster. Heise online investigates what remained of it.
A payment barrier at a train station in the Netherlands
(Image: Ton Hazewinkel / Shutterstock.com)
In October 1999, the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) in Germany embarked on an innovative experiment in local public transport: the introduction of a contactless, chip-based e-ticket system, also known as a smart ticket. The aim was to simplify the use of local public transport. The system was given the name "Tick.et" (proper spelling tick.et).
Berlin was far ahead. Such systems were still quite rare around the globe. A few years earlier, Busan (South Korea) had launched an e-ticket system. Hong Kong had the Octopus card and Japan was preparing for IC systems. According to research by heise online, these card systems were already contactless at the time, although an e-ticket purchased from Busan in 2016, for example, still had a – – chip contact surface that was no longer in use at the time.
In Europe, the Oyster card is probably the best known, which has simplified travel on public transport in Greater London since 2003. It is very easy to use: the ticket is held up to the reader on the bus (tap) and the journey can begin. On trains, it is necessary to tap again when getting off, and in rare cases also when changing trains.
The e-ticket system is so old that it has already reached its limits, as Geoff Marshall explained very well in a YouTube video on the "Contactless Only" station Brookmans Park in 2019 and can also be seen in the Payg-Map (Pay as you go) from Transport for London. (PDF). Then you need a credit or debit card with EMV contactless function (recognizable by the wave symbol on the card) or a smartphone with NFC to emulate EMV.
Socialized with an e-ticket
In all these cities, e-ticket systems are now taken for granted. The population was able to slowly get used to them when there was not yet too much pressure to digitize. The systems in East and Southeast Asia are the most advanced, as they developed into payment systems long before contactless EMV cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) came into fashion in Germany.
These include the Suica IC card in Japan, which can be used as a means of payment in many areas of Japan, but is limited as a local transport ticket.
(Image:Â East Japan Railway Company)
The Octopus card in Hong Kong, Taiwan's Easycard and South Korea's T-Money are also widely used as a means of payment.
And Berlin?
Around 25 years ago, Berlin tried to implement a similar concept. Although it was hardly conceivable to use it as a payment system, it could at least have worked as an easy-to-use ticket system based on credit with a distance tariff. Tick.et had good prospects and the pilot phase was successful – but the project was ultimately discontinued.
The first volunteers for the system were sought in October 1999. 26,000 passengers received a Tick.et card in this way, according to a final report dated October 10, 2000. At the time, many more passengers wanted a Tick.et: 45,000 applications were received.
The field test ended after seven months on April 30, 2000, and the system was well received by the test passengers. Despite initial challenges, which were reflected in a satisfaction rate of only 80 percent, acceptance improved significantly. By the end of the trial, the satisfaction rate had risen to 96 percent.
The system was well equipped. There were Tick.et points as a contact point. Tick.et Start and Stop for check-in and check-out, a "tick.et tip" as an information terminal for the cards, a "tick.et box" for topping up with cash and finally even personal readers.
