The Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, has announced that the OV-chipkaart in its current form will remain in use until at least 2025, and that a new public transport pass will be introduced in stages starting in 2024.
As of this week, those making use of Dutch public transport have been able to use OVpay on all buses, trams and trains in the Netherlands. Under this new system, travellers no longer need an OV-chipkaart in order to travel - they can instead check in and out using a debit or credit card, or contactless payment systems on their smartphones or other devices.
While many were concerned about what this new system would mean for the future of the OV-chipkaart, those behind the technology reassured travellers that the Dutch public transport card could continue to be used as normal and that it wasn’t going anywhere yet.
Now, in a letter sent to parliament, Heijnen has said that the OV-chipkaart will remain in use until at least 2025 - although the chip technology used in the cards is outdated and will need to be replaced soon.
Starting in 2024, the OV-chipkaart’s successor - the OV-pas - will be introduced gradually across the Netherlands and on different modes of transportation, but Heijnen has reassured the government that it will only be fully implemented - and that the OV-chipkaart will only disappear - when the OV-pas has “proven itself in terms of customer convenience and reliability.”
Unlike the OV-chipkaart, the OV-pas will largely exist as a digital public transport card - although physical versions of the pass will also be available. The digital pass can easily be added to a wallet on your smartphone or smart device, and will work much like the current OVpay system; just swipe your phone to check in or out when travelling.
Unlike OVpay, however, travellers will be able to upload their subscriptions or discounts to their OV-pas. They’ll also be able to access their travel history information, and will be able to set up an anonymous OV-pas if they’d rather not have their account linked to their identity. Finally, like the OV-chipkaart, travellers can choose to link their pass to their bank account for automatic top-ups - although this isn’t mandatory.
Thumb: Dutchmen Photography via Shutterstock.com.