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Tcard was an integrated inter-modal stored-value ticketing project, similar to Hong Kong's Octopus Card system, originally intended to be in place before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 2007, the state government terminated the project and the $64 million investment had been written off. ERG Group and the independent regulator attributed some of the delays to CityRail's complex fare structure. On 12 April 2010, the Government of New South Wales (NSW) announced that a new contract had been awarded to the Pearl Consortium for the roll-out of a new system.〔http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/38211-pearl-consortium-wins-nsw-tcard-contract Pearl Consortium wins NSW Tcard contract, 12 April 2010, iTwire〕 It was announced in September 2011 that the new system would be called Opal.〔http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/opal-gem-public-transport-0〕 ==History== Sydney has used a number of automated ticketing systems since the opening of the Eastern Suburbs Railway in 1979. At present, government-run buses, trains and ferries use the automated fare collection (AFC) system, rolled out between 1988 and 1993. A replacement system, based on smart card technology, was first announced by the New South Wales Government in 1996, with hopes of a system to be in place before the 2000 Summer Olympics. The Government put the project up for tender. As a result, the contract to install and operate the integrated ticketing project, or Tcard, as the plan became known, was finalized and awarded to ERG Group at the end of 2002. In 2005, a limited trial of the technology involving school children using the School Student Transport Scheme was undertaken, and expanded to cover all private-sector bus services in 2006. In a bid to smooth the introduction of Tcard, the government established the Public Transport Ticketing Corporation to oversee the project. The corporation commenced operations in July 2006. Originally slated for a 2007 introduction, the Tcard rollout timetable project was pushed back. Ridiculing the revised timetable, opposition transport spokesman Barry O'Farrell told Parliament that "The only smart move by the Minister for Transport is putting off implementation of the full operation of the Tcard until after the 2007 state election campaign." In mid-2006, the future of the project was in doubt as ERG Group was forced to borrow $14 million to prop up company finances. The government moved to renegotiate the contract, having already spent $54 million. In April 2007, an official letter from the Public Transport Ticketing Corporation was sent to ERG Group expressing numerous concerns, such as software problems dogging the project. Beginning in August 2006, commuter field trials were held on selected lines of Sydney Buses and the Punchbowl Bus Company. The trials hit a hitch when bus drivers threatened a boycott due to the machine crashing when printing tickets, distracting drivers, which in turn led to safety issues. Discontent among workers involved with the trial renewed calls for the Tcard system to be scrapped. On 9 November 2007, the Government of NSW issued a notice of intention to terminate the contract with ERG. On 23 January 2008, the NSW government announced it had terminated the contract and would be seeking to recover $95 million from ERG. On 18 March 2008, the School Student Transport Scheme Tcard system was switched off in response to the terminated contract. On 3 July 2008, after three months of a terminated contract and a $200 million lawsuit by ERG Group, it was revealed that the a smartcard system project had been revived by cabinet. This decision also required the state government to change the structure of its fare system to suit the new system. On 17 February 2012, the Tcard legal dispute was settled.〔http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/releases/20120217-card-case-settled.pdf〕 It was at this time that the Pearl Consortium took over the contract for the system. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tcard」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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