Zwolle Card

In may 1995 a trial starts with a smart card in the Dutch town of Zwolle. The card can be used to pay bus fares in the city buses of Midnet and in a multi-storey car park. The trial ends in december 1996.

Midnet, VSN, ANWB and Parkeer Management Nederland (PMN) are participants in this trial. The card is distributed by ANWB.

At first only members of ANWB who live in certain parts of Zwolle can apply for a card. About 1,000 people apply for a Zwolle Card. Every applicant receives 10 guilders free card value. In 1996 the number of card holders is doubled.

The trial starts on one bus route. In november 1995 the number of bus routes is extended, partially as a result of requests by passengers. Later the trial is extended to all city bus routes in Zwolle. At that point 20 buses are equiped with Wayfarer hardware.

The Zwolle Card can be used to pay for single and return tickets. The return tickets are cheaper than the regular presale strip ticket. The passenger receives a paper ticket with the text "Zwolle chipkaart 1995".

If the value on the card is not sufficient, it is possible to recharge the card with 25 guilders. Recharging can be done by the bus driver or in the car park. The money is transferred from the bank account to the card using direct debit.

Research shows a 5.2 percent increase of the number of passengers due to the Zwolle card. A third of the passengers uses the bus more often, mainly because of the cheaper fares and the easier way of paying.