Santiago de Chile is the capital of Chile, and more than 5 million people live in it and its agglomerations. The city public mass transport is mainly ensured by the Red Metropolitana de Movilidad bus network, formerly Transantiago. The city operates its metro as well. Until 2006, the transport used to be operated in a disorganised manner. Therefore, in 2006, there was a complete change of the vehicle fleet and complete central reorganisation of the lines.
1999 - Self-service ticket cash payments
The goal of the project was to implement fare payments in public mass transport vehicles without conductor’s assistance. Cash and contactless chip cards were to be used for payments. At the same time, the goal was to prevent passengers from boarding without a valid document.
Our solution
The AVJF mobile automatic machine, mobile turnstile, and driver’s terminal were installed in every vehicle near the driver. The automatic machine was connected to the mobile turnstile, which would open upon inserting the required amount into the machine. A flat fare was used, so passengers did not have to make any choices. The automatic machine featured its motor-driven feeder, so it was enough to insert a handful of unsorted coins into the bowl, the machine sorted the coins and returned the excess ones. Boarding was allowed only through the front door and exit through the rear door. If a passenger requested a discounted ticket, he had to prove to the driver with a document confirming the right to a reduced fare, the driver then selected it on his terminal, the automatic machine printed out the requested ticket, and the turnstile allowed the passenger to board the vehicle. Data on completed transactions was read manually from the automatic machine using a contact card.
The system was prepared for the future implementation of the chip contactless card check-in.
2006 Switch to contactless cards and maintained cash payments
The transport company decided to reorganise its bus transport and introduce contactless chip cards. Although the original turnstile check-in system was still functional and ready to work with cards, the transport company no longer required any mechanical access controls in its vehicles. At the same time, it decided to significantly expand its fleet and install a new check-in system in its vehicles. The cash payment option was to be maintained.
Our solution
As the transport company no longer required any mechanical vehicle access control in the form of a turnstile, and as the new check-in system was to cover many times more vehicles than it had previously operated, it was decided to install a completely new check-in system, instead of expanding the existing one. Since there was no need to choose any tariffs, and price was key to the customer, we developed a completely new type of compact CVE validator with a numeric display, which accepted contactless chip cards.
Furthermore, the MS24 fareboxes were installed in the vehicles, for easy and quick coin payments.
The chip cards were distributed and recharged in their pre-sales network.
Thanks to its simplicity, the system was very successful and made fare collection more effective. Most passengers gradually completely switched to contactless card payments, and cash payments were used only sporadically. Over the next ten years, the system was continuously expanded from its initial 10,500 validators and 2,700 fareboxes to its final 20,000 validators.
2016 Self-service pre-sales services
The goal was to expand the pre-sales services through the possibility of pre-paying one’s card balance on the Internet and then recharge one’s card in the field as self-service.
Our solution
Delivery of CVB card validators for pre-sales functions in municipal institutions, shopping centres, and other places. Some validators were delivered as OEM components for multifunction automatic machines. A total of 900 validators were delivered. The passenger would pay to top up his balance via the Internet and then physically charged his card at one of the validators located at public spaces and buildings.
2019 Bank card payments in vehicles
The goal of the modernisation was to introduce the possibility of bank card payments made directly in the vehicle. To maintain the check-in with your existing chip card and offer another way of checking-in for passengers who do not have any of the cards and allow one to purchase tickets online.
Our solution
Delivery of CVB validators with wifi, GPS, and QR code reader. The validator made it easy to check in with a bank card directly in the vehicle, and also worked with the existing chip cards. Other passengers can check in using their QR code, most often on a mobile phone display or on printed paper document. In total, approximately 8,300 validators were delivered in a custom red colour matching the body colour of the newly delivered electric buses.
