The Data Protection Commissioner has praised the Railway Procurement Authority and the National Roads Authority for their involvement in the Integrated Ticketing System. In its Twenty-Third Annual Report, the Data Protection Commissioner acknowledged that his office had been consulted at the outset of the project in order to ensure that the sharing of data between the different transport operators involved was carried out in a manner that was compliant with data protection legislation. The Integrated Ticketing System project, known to the majority of Dublin city’s commuters as the ‘Leap Card’, was introduced in December 2011. William Fry advised on various aspects of the project including data protection.

The Leap Card is a reusable plastic smart card that can potentially hold journey data about its carrier. The Data Protection Commissioner welcomed the decision taken by the transport operators involved not to carry, retain or process data that identified departure or arrival locations.

Registered cards that require personal data about the purchaser do not store any personal data on the card, other than the fact that the card itself is registered. Also, Leap Cards can be bought anonymously, an important option for consumers from a privacy perspective, according to the Data Protection Commissioner.

The Data Protection Commissioner expressed his thanks to all those involved and wished the project continued success in the future. He also indicated that he looks forward to providing assistance with future projects, including the proposed link-up with the integrated Ticketing Scheme and the Public Services Card in terms of travel cards for the over 65s.

View our previous article on the Data Protection Commissioner’s 2011 Report here.

Contributed by Brian McElligott.