Hand hole-punch

A hand hole-punch is a simple device to make a perforation on a travel ticket. The objective is to make a visible and irreversible mark on the travel ticket so that, if the ticket is re-presented for travel, it is immediately obvious that it has been used already and should not be accepted.

Common device types for the punch include:

• A hand-held punch, which is used by a conductor, driver or inspection personnel.
• A stand-alone punch, which is used by drivers when passengers present the ticket at point of entry to the bus, or by inspection personnel at entrance to off-vehicle entry points to the transit system.
• A punch integrated into another device such as a ticket-issuing machine.

The simplest format for the punch is a hole or obliteration, which may be in a designated area of the ticket. In some cases, the punch has a specific shape, which can be related to a specific mode, service or inspection personnel.

The hand-hole punch is used in three main applications:

• Single tickets. The mark or hole can be made anywhere in the ticket.
• Return tickets. In simple cases, the mark or hole can be made anywhere on the ticket, one for the outbound journey and one for the return journey (a variant is that the ticket is printed for the outbound journey and only needs to be punched on the return journey). An alternative is to have a designated area for each of the outbound and return journeys, which are then marked or snipped on the designated location.
• Multi-journey ticket. These have designated areas, one for each trip. The punch is used to obliterate one area for each journey, until all of the available trips have been made and the ticket is no longer valid.

Due to the lack of any date/time/route information, hand-hole punches tend to be used in controlled circumstances e.g.

• The driver or conductor sells preprinted value stock, and punches the ticket at the point of sale.
• Tickets are inspected or punched a point of boarding.
• Tickets are sold at a booking office for a designated journey, and punched on board the vehicle.

Benefits of a hand hole-punch are:

• Very simple technology.
• The ticket is clearly marked, and cannot be used again (if the inspection staff are diligent).
• Low cost.
• Low maintenance requirements.

Cautions with regard to hand hole-punches are:

• No date / time / route stamp on the ticket. It can be difficult for conductors to determine whether the passenger is re-using a ticket from a previous trip.
• If the driver / conductor fails to punch the ticket, it can be reused.
• In case of collusion between passenger and conductor / driver, it is difficult or impossible for inspection personnel to detect or prove this conclusively.
• No transaction data are generated.