Three companies on Tcard shortlist
update The NSW Government has announced a shortlist of three groups who will be eligible to participate in the process to find a new builder for Sydney's electronic ticketing system, once called the Tcard.
The failed system (Credit: Tcard)
Transport Minister David Campbell said that the three successful companies — Australian firms the Glide Consortium and the Pearl Consortium as well as Germany's Scheidt & Bachmann — will now be able to put forward their proposed solutions through a request for proposals.
According to the Public Transport Ticketing Corporation, the Pearl Consortium consists of the Commonwealth Bank, Cubic Transportation Systems Australia — which built the Queensland transport smart card system — and Downer EDI Engineering Power.
The Glide Consortium is made up of Macquarie Bank, Macquarie Capital, Octopus Solutions and Thales Australia. Scheidt and Bachmann is a German company which has been involved in various ticketing projects across Europe.
The companies will need to provide information on technical systems, commercial arrangements, time frames and costings by June this year. Campbell hoped to sign a contract with the winner in 2010.
"Members of the qualified entities have worked with some of the most well known public transport ticketing systems around the world including those operating in Hong Kong, London, the Netherlands and Boston," Campbell said in a statement.
Campbell had put out a request for expressions of interest last year, which received 15 responses. Those who missed out included Australia's Citigroup Consortium, D & R Technology Consortium; e-Pay Australia; Snapper Consortium; Hampstead Consulting; Telvent Australia; Wave Team; Zheng Guang Australia Consortium; as well as US-based ACS Transport Solutions Inc, China's Shanghai Huateng Software Systems Consortium, Sony Corporation of Japan and Spanish Indra Sistemas, S.A. Consortium.
Sydney's electronic ticketing has had a troubled past, with this being the second time NSW has had to seek a vendor to roll out a system.
The previous vendor had its contract with the government cancelled after it did not meet milestones. The company, formerly ERG Group and now called Videlli, has recently undergone a major restructure which saw its executive directors James Carroll and Steven Gallagher resign.
Both the company and the government are currently trying to get compensation for their losses through the Federal Court.
South Australia also put out an expressions of interest last year for an electronic ticketing system of its own. Victoria's Myki system has been rolling out across Geelong. Perth and Brisbane have working smart card systems.