The Use of a Single Smart Card for Transit and Non-Transit Systems

Governments around the world are investing heavily in Smart Card infrastructure to enhance transport services. Studies show that Smart Card technology can improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs. Little is known about the conditions under which customers would adopt transit cards for non-transit transactions. This study was undertaken to evaluate customers’ response to the use of the ez-link card for non-transit transactions. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to develop the research model and hypotheses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected from 293 respondents using the intercept interview technique in the final survey. Regression analysis explained 80% of the variance in the customers’ intention to use the ez-link card for non-transit transactions. This study concluded that a more parsimonious model would only extract two independent variables (Desirability - DES and Perceived Convenience – PEC) to predict customers’ intention. DES and PEC were used to develop a new “Smart Card Usage” model that could be used to conduct future studies on customers’ intention.