A riveting tale of the evolution of automated fare collection systems written by a project manager who was working on the inside: The Melbourne Metcard system developed in 1995 was the first multi-modal system in the world, implemented on schedule and within budget. Hong Kong's famous Octopus system was lauded as the most successful smart card system on the back of a very smooth implementation. The Taipei Yo-Yo card system, another well engineered project implemented successfully. Holland's massive entry into automated fare collection systems involved international carriers and three major cities, each multi-modal. The Melbourne Myki system: an unmitigated disaster. Read about the intrigues and major issues facing each of these systems. Engagingly written, this book captures issues raised behind the public view. It also paints an informative picture of each of the development country's lifestyles at the time.