Opencard

This article is about a proprietary municipal smartcard in Prague. For open-source smartcard solution, see OpenCard Framework.
Opencard
Location Prague, Czech Republic
Launched 2008 (2008)
Technology
Operator Magistrate of Prague
Validity
Variants
  • Anonymous Opencard
  • Unregistered personal Opencard
Website opencard.praha.eu
Opencard validator at Smíchovské nádraží metro station.
Opencard office at Letňany metro station.

Opencard is a municipal smart card system in Prague, Czech Republic. Rolled out from 2007 and officially introduced in 2008, the card serves as a replacement to certain municipal vouchers and tickets and as a library card for the Municipal Library's 41 automated branches and the National Library of Technology. It is also accepted as an alternative electronic ticket solution for all services of the Prague Integrated Transport system and as a coinless payment for parking fees at most inner-city paid-parking zones.

The contactless smart card aims to both inhabitants and visitors of Prague and is available in a personalized, a personalized but unregistered, and a fully anonymous version, at an issuing fee of Kč 100–250.[1]

Largely outsourced to private contractors, Prague's Opencard has been a major national controversy since its introduction in 2008. Following the flawed tender process, several municipal administratives received suspended sentences and irregularities continue being scrutinized by the Czech police. Even after the convictions, public-private contracts were renewed. All in all, the system cost the city of Prague some Kč 1.5m (US$62m) to implement.[2]

In June 2014, the municipality of Prague however took over the card's administration, after the city refused to pay previous contractor eMoneyServices a sum of US$2m in exchange for the rights to its proprietary operating system.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Price list". Magistrate of the Capital City of Prague. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Scrub lady". The Economist. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, December 29, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.