Got to ask - what are those yellow readers on posts at exits to the stations in the Southampton area?
They show a message "present card" but I've never seen anyone use them.
They are actually fitted everywhere on SWT's network, not just in the Southampton area. They are set up as ITSO readers for 'Stagecoach Smart', and the TVMs also have the card readers on the front as well. (Usually black plastic about credit card sized).
The 'missing link' is changing the scheme from a trial to a full roll out. Oh, and making it available in the London fare zones.
(During the fairly long time SWT have been running their trial Southern seem to have overtaken them with a system that includes interoperability in London and PAYG. Known as the Key and discussed in other threads.)
At the moment only a few hundred 'self selecting' season ticket holders for journeys between stations on the main lines west of Woking, (and somewhere else near Windsor I think?) have the ITSO cards.
