Abu Dhabi, Casablanca and Mexico City are turning to ACS, a Xerox company, to make their public transit payment systems more efficient and convenient for millions of riders. 

ACS is modernising the commuter payment systems in all three cities by implementing its Atlas ticketing system. With the wave of a reloadable debit card from the local transit agency, riders can pay fares without using cash, a statement from the company said. 

This “contactless ticketing” system will ease commuter congestion and make boarding and paying easier and faster.

“An efficient, accessible and convenient public transportation system is essential for any growing metropolitan area, including Abu Dhabi,” said Ali Murad Taher, director of intelligent transportation systems, Department Of Transport, Abu Dhabi. “Working with ACS, we will be able to make trips for our customers better.”

In Abu Dhabi, where transit use is expected to see a five-fold increase during the next 20 years, the new system will support both urban and rural buses. ACS will grow with the city’s transportation capabilities as it increases its fleet of 520 buses to 1,365 buses within the next two years. ACS will provide project management, training, integration, ticket processing and account payment reconciliation.

In Casablanca, the company will install 200 automatic ticket vending machines and 560 access control gates in Casa Transport’s 47 tramway stations. 

Customers will get faster access to tram cars with the option to buy contactless tickets or cards throughout the entire network at any time. The system will also be compatible with other transportation networks in Casablanca, including bus lines, the statement said.

In Mexico City, ACS will install a similar fare collection system on Metrobus’ line 4. This new route will have the first on-board fare collection system for any of the city’s bus lines.

“Government officials in these three cities and all over the world have made public transportation a key part of their plans to grow and prosper,” said Dan Smith, head of integrated marketing, Mena, Xerox Developing Markets Operations. “Anywhere in the world, ACS can help speed up commutes and alleviate traffic congestion, allowing city leaders to focus on making their cities premiere places to live.”

ACS is a leading provider of intelligent transport solutions and mission-critical revenue optimisation services.  From fare collection and computer aided dispatch/automatic vehicle location systems to back-office processing and equipment installation, ACS provides innovative technical and funding solutions to public transport providers, the statement said.

The company’s transport systems and services are used by over 1,000 municipal, regional and national operators in 400 cities worldwide, helping run more than 150,000 pieces of equipment, including more than 50,000 ticket vending machines, ticket validators, mobile devices and access control gates.

ACS processes more than 100 million public transport tickets daily enabling 50 million passengers a day to use bus services, underground railways and trains, it said. – TradeArabia News Service