Will the new badge include a readable chip?

Not at this time. Badges need to be displayed in the windscreen of a car and so are used in a different way to bus and train tickets. Enforcement would be reliant on an officer walking past a vehicle with a hand-held device that was capable of reading the chip through a windscreen. These readers would be expensive for local authorities to buy and there may be additional administrative costs. The costs therefore at this time are prohibitive. But the new-style badge could include a chip at some point in the future (eg five years) if costs reduce and hand-held devices are more available. The unique numbering system on the new badge will link in with the BBIS and will enable roadside checks to be made using mobile devices that have web browsers.

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