Since the new public transport smart card was introduced on the Rotterdam metro at the end of January, fare dodging has at least halved and one third of travellers think the metro has become safer, according to transport ministry research.

A majority of travellers have given the smart card, which replaces the paper ticket, at least seven marks out of 10.
Around 50% of metro users have opted for anonymous cards, the rest have cards allowing their movements to be recorded.
But the high number of people choosing to load their cards using cash rather than by direct debit, and the large number of disposable cards issued on a daily basis, have led to problems, the report shows.
The smart card will be made compulsory on Amsterdam public transport later this year before going nationwide.