Automated systems are increasingly used to collect and verify public transport fares in both developed and developing countries. Automation of fare collection (AFC) is not just a gimmick; it can bring a wide range of benefits to local governments, transit planners, operators-and, of course, commuters themselves.
How Is It Affecting The Transportation Ecosystem?
For users, automated fare collection represents an important step toward making public transport more efficient, affordable, and accessible. Integration and interoperability are the keywords here. In addition to smart cards, AFC systems are now being integrated with a growing number of payment methods such as near-field communication devices (including smartphones), debit and credit cards, e-commerce platforms, and even printed QR codes and SMS, allowing integration with other transportation services such as bike-share schemes, paratransit, or even carpooling services.
AFC systems also generate a wealth of anonymized data that enable private-sector innovations aimed at improving service provision, customer experience, integrating services, and making transactions more robust and efficient. For example, AFC data combined with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data provide planners with an increasingly valuable tool for analyzing transportation patterns, detecting poor coverage of ticket recharging networks (blackout areas), and tackling potential fraud behaviours (fare evasion).
What Can You Achieve With An AFC Solution?
Easy to use
A seamless boarding process is assured with automated fare collection solutions that support mobile devices, smartcards, biometrics, and apps as well as multiple electronic methods.
Future proof solution
As a future-proof system, it comes with capabilities such as biometric identification, voice recognition, facial recognition, and fingerprint scanning for boarding and disembarking.
Aggregation of services
It enables you to aggregate your different services across multiple agencies, transaction types, providers, media types, routes, vehicle types, etc.
AI fraud reduction engine
Artificial intelligence is used in automated fare collection software to offer anomaly detection alarms as well as load forecasts that detect fare evasions.
How Does An AFC Solution Empower Your Fare Collection?
1. Offer flexibility to service providers
Operators will be able to benefit from the solution’s flexibility since all data and processing will be centralized in the core services instead of having to roll up different pieces of information across different systems. As a result, operators can control and operate their systems daily. The data is also available in real-time 24×7.
2. Cut operational and implementation costs
AFC offers account-based ticketing that does not require the use of special tickets or cards since it can utilize existing identifiers and mobile devices. In addition, a ticketless system eliminates the requirement of installing ticket offices, the cost of collecting cash, distributing tickets, processing, and encoding, lowering the overall operating cost of the system.
3. Create a seamless customer experience
Provide your customers with a seamless experience through an automated fare collection system that allows them to pay for their fares through a single account. In addition, they can easily top up their accounts with their preferred payment method. It will only be necessary for passengers to identify themselves when the journey begins, everything else would be taken care of by the solution.
4. Promotions & Discount
Improve your loyalty program to enhance your travellers’ travel experiences, increasing your revenue. You can leverage the solution to reward your passengers with discounts, loyalty points, and free rides once they achieve your predefined parameters.
In Conclusion
It is difficult for transport service operators to offer frictionless solutions to their customers using the current ticketing systems, whether they are digitized or cash-based.
An automated fare collection solution such as O-City, which comes with cutting-edge technology and features, will streamline your operations and eliminate the additional costs associated with fare collection. You will have access to vital information and insights that help you to keep your business moving forward. Furthermore, it reduces theft, corruption, and abuse in the payment of transport fares and allows for greater transparency of ticket prices.
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