Around 600,000 passengers daily use their public transport smartcards to check in and out. Satisfaction with travelling with the smartcard grew: 86% of passengers gave a score of 7 out of 10 or higher in 2016 to travelling with the smartcard, as compared to 79% in the previous year. The increase is the result of improved systems, fewer system errors in 2016 and people getting used to the public transport smartcard — even people who only use the train occasionally now know how the public transport smartcard works. We also expanded the number of check-in and check-out posts at 47 stations and put them in more logical positions at the stations. The service improved too: it is now easier for passengers who have forgotten to check out to reclaim their money. The NS Extra service allows passengers to activate a ‘check-out alert’ and makes it easier to cancel a season ticket.

More gates in use

In order to improve personal safety for passengers and staff at stations and in the trains, NS is fitting access gates at stations. The number of stations with access gates was 69 at the end of 2016. Passengers say that the access gates make them feel safer. They are more convinced that the gates will mean fewer fare dodgers. The access gates also ensure that passengers do not do forget to check in or out.

Customer satisfaction in 2016 about the public transport smartcard