National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board

Smart ticketing and payment involves using digital technology to manage and buy travel tickets. In Scotland, this means you can travel:

• using a smartcard with a chip
• using a ticket on a mobile app
• by tapping your contactless bank card

The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB) was created in November 2023 and includes transport authorities, users, and experts across different types of transport.

NSTAB provides advice to Scottish Ministers on the strategic direction for smart ticketing to improve passenger experience and encourage the use of sustainable public transport. The board also guides the development of a national technological standard for smart ticketing to supporting compatibility and integration.

NSTAB is a provision from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. In May 2023, Secondary legislation came into force providing more detail about the board, its governance, appointments, and processes. This was informed by a consultation which ran in 2021.

Within the founding legislation, Scottish Ministers defined the overall aim for NSTAB as follows:

The function of the Board is to advise the Scottish Ministers in relation to their functions insofar as they relate to smart ticketing arrangements, and the national technological standard for smart ticketing. The Board also has the function of issuing advice and recommendations to the Scottish Ministers in relation to the strategic development of smart ticketing in Scotland.”

The Chair aims to ensure that NSTAB’s policies and actions supports the wider strategic priorities of the Scottish Ministers. 

Responsibilities

• provide strategic advice to Ministers
• advise on the opportunities and challenges of a smart integrated ticketing system
• advise on the identification of a national technological standard for smart ticketing
• advise on recommendations following local authority reports on successes and failures of the introduction of smart ticket schemes
• represent views of the industry and sectors

The board meets approximately six times a year and produces a work programme and annual report. NSTAB must publish any advice and recommendations it provides to the Scottish Ministers.

The following links contain the meeting minutes for all NSTAB meetings:

• 10 September 2024
• 16 July 2024
• 21 May 2024
• 26 March 2024
• 30 January 2024
• 28 November 2023

Voting membership of the board is split between operator and non-operator representatives. Balanced advice can therefore be given to Scottish Ministers, considering the views of operators, users, and funders of smart ticketing. Members represent their sector, using their industry relationships and networks. The membership includes:

• Chairperson (non-voting unless in event of a split vote)
• Operators of different modes (bus, rail, ferry, subway, tram)
• Transport authorities (Local Transport Authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships)
• Passenger and accessibility representatives
• Transport Scotland
• Board advisors (non-voting members)

Chairperson – Dr Andrew Seedhouse

Dr. Andrew Seedhouse is a leading authority in smart ticketing. He is the founder of Smart Applications Management, a collaborative organisation between local authorities and bus operators, delivering smart ticketing solutions across the UK. In 2020, he led the procurement process with Transport Scotland for the replacement of the AMS-HOPS back-office software supporting National Entitlement Card Scheme transactions. The following year, he oversaw the procurement of a new Scottish National Entitlement Card Customer Management System in partnership with NECPO, representing all 32 Scottish local authorities. Dr. Seedhouse has since served as an advisor to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) on their ZoneCard smart ticketing platform and currently holds the position of Director of Transport at the University of Plymouth’s Sustainable Earth Institute.

Bus Operator Representative – Graeme Macfarlan

Graeme joined First Bus in January 2018 as Commercial Director for Scotland, overseeing all aspects of commercial development. His responsibilities include pricing and ticketing, creating local marketing strategies to drive passenger growth, stakeholder engagement, and managing contract tendering. With over 25 years of experience in commercial and marketing roles across the rail and ferry sectors, Graeme previously served as Commercial Director at Caledonian MacBrayne from 2015 to 2017. Before that, he held several senior positions in the rail industry, including Head of Marketing at First ScotRail.

Bus Operator Representative – Steven Chambers

As Head of Product Strategy at Lothian Buses—Scotland’s largest municipal bus company and Edinburgh’s main public transport provider—Steven leads a small team focused on ticketing and payments. His team introduced Scotland’s first mobile ticketing solution for buses in 2013, rolled out integrated ticketing across Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams in 2014, and launched the country’s first “Tap & Cap” contactless system in 2019. Now overseeing hundreds of thousands of smart transactions daily, Steven brings hands-on experience of implementing smart technologies in a live operational environment to NSTAB.

Rail Operator Representative – Claire Dickie

Claire is the Commercial Director at ScotRail, with a proven track record of driving commercial success. A strategic leader with nearly 30 years of experience in the rail industry, she specialises in delivering demand growth and cost optimisation through impactful project leadership and strategic development. Claire has led several transformational initiatives in fares and ticketing, working in close collaboration with government, industry partners, and the supply chain. Notable achievements include the rollout of mobile ticketing at ScotRail and the innovative off-peak all-day trial—both projects rooted in customer insight and guided by evidence-based decision making.

Ferry Operator Representative – Diane Burke

Diane joined CalMac in 2020 as Commercial Director, bringing with her extensive leadership experience from prominent transport brands such as Great North Eastern Railway, Heathrow Express, and Great Western Railway—where she played a key role in revitalising the iconic brand. She is a proven change leader, with a strong track record of delivering improvements in employee engagement, customer experience, and commercial outcomes. Diane is deeply passionate about customer experience and excels at inspiring teams through collaboration, fostering strong relationships, and uniting colleagues around a shared vision.

Subway Operator Representative – Michael Nimmo

Michael is the Ticketing Manager at Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), overseeing smart ticketing for the subway and integrated multi-modal products such as ZoneCard and Roundabout. With 18 years of experience in the transport sector—and the past seven focused specifically on ticketing at SPT—he brings deep industry knowledge and a collaborative approach. Michael is known for placing the customer at the heart of strategic, goal-driven ticketing initiatives, working closely with partners across the transport landscape to deliver impactful solutions.

Tram Operator Representative – Marilena Papadopoulou

Marilena holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Energy Engineering. Since joining Edinburgh Trams in 2014, she has successfully delivered a wide range of projects—from upgrading control room software to introducing tramstop ticketing systems and hand-held devices for front-line staff. In her current role as Renewals and Projects Manager, she has led the implementation of the Integrated Account-Based Ticketing solution, a contactless payment system with joint capping rules across Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses. Marilena also serves as Chair of the Light Rail Engineering Group, established by UKTram, where industry professionals collaborate to share best practices and address emerging challenges, including those in ticketing.

Passenger Representative – Kirsten Urquhart

Kirsten Urquhart BEM is the Chief Executive of Young Scot, Scotland’s award-winning youth information and citizenship charity. A passionate advocate for young people, Kirsten is dedicated to empowering youth voices across the country. Her career spans both the third and private sectors, with a strong focus on information management, digital innovation, and technology. She also brings extensive experience in smart travel initiatives, with Young Scot playing a key role as a delivery partner in the Under 22s free bus travel scheme via the National Entitlement Card. In recognition of her contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirsten was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2021.

Accessibility Representative – Hussein Patwa

Hussein Patwa is an accessibility consultant specialising in transport, technology, and inclusive communication. Drawing on his lived experience—being registered blind and living with chronic pain—he offers unique insight into the real-world challenges and solutions surrounding accessibility. Hussein has previously served on the Scottish Government’s Mobility & Access Committee for Scotland, working closely with Transport Scotland, Ministers, and transport operators to improve accessibility, customer service, and understanding of equalities issues.

As secretary and later vice-chair of the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance, he deepened his expertise in the diverse challenges faced by disabled people across Scotland. His work focused on raising awareness of disability and inequality in transport, while promoting the development and testing of practical, user-centred solutions. Hussein also has extensive experience across the UK in areas such as sight loss, poverty, and mental health, and has been a strong advocate for inclusive product and service design at the local government level. He brings a blend of personal experience and strategic insight to NSTAB, ensuring that accessibility and inclusion remain central to its work and outcomes.

Local Transport Authority Representative – Margaret Roy

Margaret began her career in public transport in 1994 with Stagecoach Perth, before joining the Public Transport Unit at Perth and Kinross Council five years later. With nearly three decades of experience in the transport sector, she has seen the transformation of ticketing firsthand—from traditional Setright machines to today’s smart ticketing systems. As the current Chair of the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers (ATCO Scotland), Margaret brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the board. She is committed to contributing her own insights while also representing the collective expertise and feedback of her ATCO Scotland colleagues.

Regional Transport Partnership Representative – Ranald Robertson

Ranald Robertson has served as Director of the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) since 2012. With over 20 years of experience, he has a strong track record of delivering multi-modal transport projects and shaping transport policy across the Highlands and Islands and beyond. Ranald is deeply committed to making sustainable travel more accessible by removing barriers to multi-modal transport. He has played a key role in the development of smart ticketing initiatives and currently leads the GO-HI Mobility as a Service (MaaS) project, which enables integrated journey planning and payment across a wide range of transport modes—including bike, bus, ferry, and air services.

Transport Scotland Representative - Mary Docherty

Mary is a qualified accountant and leads the Concessionary Travel and Integrated Ticketing Unit (CTITU) at Transport Scotland. Under her leadership, CTITU has delivered a wide range of smart ticketing initiatives over the past six years. These include the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme, the rollout of smart platforms, the Smart Pay Grant Fund, and the development of multi-operator and multi-modal ticketing using ITSO smartcards. Mary has also overseen innovative projects such as Digital Travel Data Services and the transition of ferry concessionary travel to smart platforms for both NorthLink and Pentland Ferries.

Technical Systems Advisor - Mostafa Gulam

Mostafa is the Managing Director of a global transport ticketing consultancy, offering expert guidance to national, regional, and local transport authorities, operators, and ticketing suppliers across the world—from North America to Australia. He has spearheaded the technical design and implementation of some of the largest smart ticketing systems globally. In a previous role, Mostafa led the technical division focused on developing new ticketing technologies for National Rail. More recently, he has been instrumental in providing strategic direction and driving the adoption of cutting-edge ticketing technologies within the public transport sector. His work has included the modernisation of back-office fare and ticketing systems, as well as the implementation of Smart Ticketing, Thin Client Retailing, Account-Based Ticketing, closed-loop smartcards, contactless EMV (Open Loop Ticketing), and Barcode ticketing. Mostafa has also collaborated closely with a wide range of stakeholders—including transit agencies, operators, and transport authorities—on the development and funding of ticketing technologies.

Transport Strategy Advisor – James Gleave

James brings valuable expertise in developing and implementing transport strategies, with a particular focus on how smart ticketing can support broader objectives. With nearly 20 years of experience in local authorities and regional government, he has also advised national governments on the potential of new transport technologies to achieve key societal goals. Additionally, James has a background in the technology sector. In his role, he aims to inspire individuals and organisations to keep the bigger picture in mind—addressing inequalities, advancing climate action, fostering inclusive economic growth, and enhancing health and wellbeing. He is committed to ensuring that smart ticketing strategies meet the diverse needs of communities across Scotland.

Smart Delivery Advisory – Matt Smallwood

Matt has over a decade of experience in the development and implementation of smart ticketing and currently serves as the Connected Mobility Manager at Transport for the North. With a career spanning both the public and private sectors, he has played a pivotal role in delivering integrated commercial ticketing solutions in South Yorkshire and developing a connected mobility strategy for the North of England. Recognised as a subject matter expert in ticketing across bus, rail, and light rail, Matt’s work has primarily focused on technical multi-modal integration, commercial governance, and the fare structures necessary for successful integrated ticketing.

Transport Scotland provides the secretariat to serve NSTAB. The Secretariat responsibilities include:

• monitoring the board’s mailbox
• ensuring monthly fees and expenses claims are processed
• monitoring the board’s finances
• supporting the logistics of the board
• acting as an initial point of contact between the board and Transport Scotland
• ensuring the board adheres to relevant Scottish Government’s policies
• facilitating the board’s engagement with Ministers
• assisting in the preparation of board papers
• securely storing and managing all the board’s correspondence, papers and data

The NSTAB Secretariat can be contacted at: NSTAB@transport.gov.scot