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Hermes
A Community Transport System
The Hermes system is designed to offer local councils or other community organisations a solution to the problem of offering subsidised transport to the elderly and vulnerable in their jurisdiction. It allows for the use of alternative transport options such as community ambulances & taxis (Transport Operators) to offer a door-to-door transport option to those who need it most.
A member’s entitlement to the service is held in the form of travel tokens on a contactless smartcard which is issued by the scheme provider. The tokens may either be issued on a per-annum basis or, alternatively, operated as an e-purse where the member can add tokens to their smartcard at participating Post Offices, Libraries or via the Transport Operator.
When the scheme member wishes to make a journey he/she rings a central telephone number and makes a booking. The scheme administrator uses this information to book the journey with a suitable Transport Operator and issues a unique journey number. This allows the scheme administrator to book the most suitable form of transport taking into account both the member’s requirements and any other local journeys taking place at the same time.
The Transport Operator utilises a durable handheld smartcard reader to remove transport tokens from the member’s smartcard. Details of the journey are recorded and returned to a central database for billing purposes.
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