Transport smart card delayed in Amsterdam
20 May 2009
Junior transport minister Tineke Huizinga has not given the go ahead to Amsterdam's plans to introduce the new public transport smart card (ov-chipkaart) on the metro from June, news agency Novum reports.
The Amsterdam regional body, which represents 16 local councils, wants to scrap paper tickets for the metro on June 25 but consumer bodies are opposed. They say it will confuse and complicate travelling on public transport in the capital because buses and trams are not yet making the switch.
In addition, it is not clear if the smart card will be on sale at enough places, transport lobby group Rover said.
The smart card has been the only way of paying to travel on Rotterdam's metro since the end of January. It will be used in parallel to paper tickets in Utrecht from August.
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