A Joint Venture of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi & The Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd.
Automatic Fare Collection System
Introduction
With a population that is forecasted to reach 20 million in the next decade, Delhi will have to increasingly depend upon public transport with a fast growing metro service, wide array of bus services and a recently introduced BRT system for its transportation needs.
It is inevitable that as the city keeps pace with its explosive growth – both in terms of population and economy – it would witness a huge increase in trip demands, a majority of which would be difficult to complete in a single vehicle or mode. An inadequate integration in two modes like the metro and bus routes may result in reduction in ridership and an increase of personalized vehicle usage, which in long term would be unsustainable.
For a well-integrated public transport system it is imperative that travel be as seamless as possible and offer a simple integrated fare structure. This is especially true when new modes of public transport such as BRT, Light Rail, and Mono Rail are introduced. To execute a seamless multi-modal integration, an electronic system for unified fare collection and indisputable settlement among operators is essential.
Govt. of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) has nominated DIMTS as the nodal agency for implementing the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) Project. The Project consists of designing, developing, financing, implementing, operating and maintaining and facility management of Automatic Fare Collection System and value added services based on Smart Cards which will be acceptable in multiple travel modes including DTC buses, private buses, metro rail, Light Rail Transit, Mono Rail and value added services like parking, taxis, auto-rickshaws, etc.
What is AFCS?
Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) is an automated revenue collection system which facilitates purchase of pre-paid tickets and their subsequent use through electronic systems to permit access to or from the transport mode. AFCS reduces on-board ticketing, helps in easy accounting of revenue collection and generates rich information for MIS purposes. In addition, AFC reduces the need for ticket checking staff and helps prevent fraud.
The fare collection system is a key interface between a transit agency and its passengers. It directly affects the way in which passengers experience and perceive the transit agency and its services. In general, the transit passenger expects a fare system that is:
- Fast, easy to understand and use, with reliable fare transactions
- Offers payment options that suit their particular travel needs (frequent, infrequent, weekly, daily, cross-boundary, short-distance, etc)
- Allows easy transfers between modes and different transit providers
- Provides easy access to fare media
AFCS in Delhi
The AFCS to be implemented in Delhi shall comprise of the following main sub-systems:
- On-bus Sub-system
- Depot Sub-system
- Central Operations Center (COC) Sub-system
- VPN (Virtual Private Network) Sub-system
- Single-ride/ Multiple-ride Ticketing Sub-system
- Revenue Collection and Protection Sub-system
The proposed AFC System will be suitable for stage-based fare structure and will accommodate various types of existing passes/tickets. In addition, it is proposed that the AFC System be flexible enough to cater to other possible fare structures/ ticketing options including flat fare, time-based fare (peak and off-peak differential fare), free transfers among various modes, etc.
The conductors deployed on private buses will be gradually phased out. Instead, there will be ticket inspectors who’ll be equipped with handheld smart card reader terminals for inspection of tickets on the buses.
DIMTS' Role
- Business rules for AFC in consultation with GNCTD, DTC and other stakeholders.
- Overall project coordination and management of the project on behalf of GNCTD
- Independent monitoring of Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Monitoring of AFC revenue and its apportionment liaison with government.
- Agreements with private transport operators
DIMTS is working out the project structure and evaluating the various existing and upcoming technologies for the AFC System. We are in the process of identifying a mix of AFC technologies, best suited for the socio-economic conditions specific to Delhi.
AFCS card used in Dwarka Circular Sewa
A pilot AFCS has been introduced with the Dwarka Circular Sewa – an intra-city bus system for the Dwarka sub-city. This will be followed by a full-fledged implementation in all modes of public transport in Delhi.