The Eindhoven city council wants to introduce specific physical passes. Political groups aren’t in favour of this plan. They consider it an outdated idea and ‘a step back in time’.
The municipality is planning on introducing several individual passes – one for its employees, another for sports and a waste pass to open underground bins. The intention is that collectively, they’ll replace the present city pass. This is because the card no longer complies with GDPR (EU data protection) privacy regulations.
Political groups emphasize that smart solutions should be conceivable in the high-tech region. Operating via an app will offer new possibilities for the future. For instance, fitness enthusiasts can track their activities while being able to open rubbish bins as well.
The labour party (PvdA) will pass a motion in next week’s council meeting. The party proposes to pursue a feasibility study with an app. On the other hand, an app can still bring potential risks to privacy and limit the people who are technologically challenged.
For the time being, the council will stick to the original plan. In response to the motion, Councillor Marcel Oosterveer announced this week that there are too many snags on an app. For example, an app is too expensive and very sensitive to privacy issues, he said. The municipality is in consultation with the waste disposal company, Cure, to see whether a digital solution can be found for only waste processing.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Seetha
