Ε- ticket: The ticket to a better ride: How can Automated Fare Collection improve urban transport
Ε- ticket: The ticket to a better ride: How can Automated Fare Collection improve urban transport
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In both developed and developing countries, a growing number of cities are relying on automated systems to collect public transport fares and verify payment that brings a wide range of benefits to all parties involved.
Especially for users, the development of automated fare collection systems is a critical step toward making public transport more efficient, affordable, and accessible. It is undeniable that being able to buy your transport ticket via mobile application makes it more convenient. Or getting a smart card and be able to recharge it, either from your mobile phone or in automatic machines that you find almost everywhere, in over 1,000 places in Athens.
The deployment of this technology isjust the beginning of improving passenger service. Going beyond ticketing applications, such as the issuance of a personalized card depending on the profile of the passenger (students, over 65, etc.) and the introduction of flexible pricing policies (ticket package 10 + 1, 24 hours, etc.), such systems generate a wealth of travelling data, fostering private sector led innovations looking at improving service provision, customer experience, integrating services and making transaction processing more robust and efficient.
Thus, public transport in Athens – and progressively in Thessaloniki – enters a virtuous cycle of continuous upgrading of services that will provide the passenger and the passenger, in turn, will enjoy better, more frequent and high-quality mobility in the city.
The digital transformation of Athens and Thessaloniki Urban Transport is a result of the two new PPP projects in the field of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), by TERNA ENERGY.
Modernization and customer-centric vision for OASA Telematics
In Athens, the well-known e ticket was implemented based on a Public & Private Partnership by HELLAS SMARTICKET (HST S.A.) in which shareholders are the companies TERNA ENERGY (35%), GEK TERNA (35%) and LG CNS (30%).
The above partnership scheme designed, installed, and implemented the Automated Ticket Collection System for the Companies of OASA Group (Athens Urban Transport Organization ‐ AUTO) with a construction cost of € 58.8 million, while it continues its technical management, maintenance and operational support until the end of the relevant contract, in May 2027. Then the system falls under the ownership of OASA Group, whose financial contribution via National Strategic Reference Framework – NSRF was 49% of the construction cost, namely € 28.8 million.
The system technically supports the Call Center / Monitoring in 24/7 shifts, while support is also provided, 24/7, by 40 field technicians with 9 company vehicles. In total, more than 100 people are employed in permanent jobs.
The contractor of the project also offers continuous support to the new METRO and TRAM extensions (stations and extension stops to Piraeus).
More specifically, the digital actions of Attica’s project include:
• Integrated automated fare collection information system, which is based on electronic tickets (smart cards and mobile applications) and contributes to the dematerialization of tickets, their easy management, and the reduction of ticket evasion
• Integrated system of digital management of requests and complaints of the passengers, with an interface in the internal operation procedures of the Organization
• Integrated Business Intelligence (BI) information system
Advanced technology for the passengers in Thessaloniki
The Digital Transformation, Telematics and Unified Automatic Fare Collection System for the Transport Authority of Thessaloniki (TheTA), significantly upgrades the organization’s transport work, the services provided to the passengers and the overall operation of city’s urban transport.
With this new system, the management of human resources and fuel will be done through digital applications, which will lead to an upgrade of the frequency of itineraries. With the telematics service, passengers will be informed in real time about the transit of buses, while the electronic ticket – which will be technologically superior to Athens – will increase Thessaloniki’s Urban Transport Organization revenues by reducing the stowaways. Passengers will be able to purchase tickets while in the buses as well, as the project specifications include the installation of automatic ticket and card issuing machines inside the vehicles.
Contractor of the project «Digital Transformation, Telematics and Unified Automatic Fare Collection System for the Transport Authority of Thessaloniki (TheTA)» is the joint venture TERNA ENERGY (70%) – INDIGITAL (15%) – AMCO (15%). The total budget amounts to € 30 million. The agreement provides for the construction period (12 months) and the provision of maintenance and operation support services for 5 years from completion, while the Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the maintenance and operation support period for another 5 years.
In order to achieve better internal organization and operation, cost savings, collection and exploitation of passenger data and better passenger service, a number of subsystems will be implemented which will be delivered interconnected, in order to operate as a unified system.
The digital actions of the project in Thessaloniki include:
• Integrated telematics and passenger information system, based on the latest technologies and implementation standards
• Integrated information system of automated fare collection with electronic tickets (smart cards and mobile applications) that will contribute to the dematerialization of tickets, their easy management, and the reduction of ticket evasion
• Integrated information system for planning and optimization of itineraries and services, for optimal planning of itineraries and services, considering both the service of the passengers and the reduction of the operating costs
• Integrated digital document management and workflow system with digital signatures with full digital capture of internal functions and administrative processes
• Integrated business resource management information system for the entire Organization and staff management system
• Integrated depot management information system
• Integrated system for digital management of passenger requests and complaints with interconnection in the internal operation procedures of the Organization
• Development of Web Portal and applications for smart devices
• Creation of a Business Center with a complete real-time recording of the data and flows related to the operation of the Operating Body, through which important decisions will be taken
• Integrated fuel management information system
• Integrated Business Intelligence (BI) information system
• Project publicity actions and informing the passenger public
Overall, the final integrated system will achieve comprehensive passenger information, better passenger service via card use and ticket purchase via mobile phone, improvement on the execution of the Operator’s itineraries and faster boarding of passengers, reduction of operating expenses and ticket evasion / revenue increase.
Digital Expertise, Experience and gratification for TERNA ENERGY
With these two projects TERNA ENERGY expands its experience in Financing, Management and Operation of PPP projects, enters the emerging market of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and gains valuable experience in managing companies with 24/7 operation.
At the same time, it actively contributes to the effort to improve the environmental footprint of transport organizations, since due to their digital transformation, the use of paper and plastic is reduced while energy is saved due to significant travelling reduction in the phase of ticket distribution and storage.
Above all though is the fact that with this project the quality of life of millions of people who use Public Transport every day is improved. In addition to being successful, TERNA ENERGY is a company useful to people and society.
