Traffic in View, 20 October 2014: 'Criticism of OV-chipcard continues'

“Last Thursday, the House of Representatives debated the OV-chipkaart. Many parties criticised the system. For instance, the VVD wants travellers not to have to keep checking in and out when changing trains, and the PvdA advocates abolishing the mandatory 20-euro balance. But there is also criticism of the OV-chipkaart's privacy.

Privacy First Foundation claims the 'anonymous' OV-chipkaart is not anonymous because each card has its own identification number. This allows travellers to be identified by linking transaction data. As long as there are no truly anonymous chip cards, the foundation wants paper tickets without a chip to remain.

Closure of gates

But that's not all. Privacy First wants compulsory checking in and out for travellers with a student OV, a route card or an annual season ticket to be abolished, the current chip card data retention periods to be reduced to a necessary minimum and the OV chip card to be cheaper.

The planned 'closure of the gates' has also been criticised. The idea behind this closure is that, for example, undeclared drivers will no longer enter the station. But this also ensures that it will become impossible, for example, to cross the station without using public transport. Furthermore, the closure would lead to dangerous situations in case of emergencies and, for example, children, elderly or needy people cannot be escorted to the platform by family or friends, according to Privacy First.

Improve

Despite the many criticisms levelled at the OV-chipkaart, the system will not be abolished, says state secretary Wilma Mansveld (Infrastructure). However, it will need to be improved. Mansveld previously revealed that a number of trials are under way to improve the chip card."

Source: http://www.acquirepublishing.nl/verkeer-in-beeld/kritiek-op-ov-chipkaart-blijft-aanhouden, 20 October 2014.