ACCOUNTABLE INTERACTIONS — OV. CHIPKAART
I have been in the Netherlands for the lasts two weeks and the public transportation system fascinates me. I bought the OV. Chipkaart, which is a rechargeable card that I can use all over the Netherlands and for any type of transportation (trams, trains, metros, buses).
The most important tip for using your public transport chip card is to always remember to check in and check out. This process helps in deducting the right amount of money after the trip is finished.
At the start of the journey, I have to hold the card up to a card reader usually installed inside a bus or a tram, or at stations gates, or on free-standing poles.
In case someone forgets to check in, there is a risk being fined by the transport operator. However, the operator doesn’t pass by all the time. This made me cautious about the system and how it creates a space for trust and accountability. This process might not work everywhere, however, it worked in the Netherlands where there are thousands of tourists and locals traveling daily within cities or by trains.
One of the product’s constraints of this card is that it requires to have more than enough credit for a certain journey. If I am traveling between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the ticket is €16. I am required to have a minimum of €20 on the card in order to check in. Which means sometimes you can lose €4.
Can we design more interactions that foster accountability?
