NEC Expanding Delivery of Intelligent Transportation Systems in India

NEC Technologies India and NEC Corporation have announced the implementation of an Intelligent Transportation Management System (ITMS)/Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the city of Ahmedabad with Smart City Ahmedabad Development Limited (SCADL). NEC, in cooperation with nCode Solutions (A GNFC Company), was awarded this project by SCADL to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing BRT system and city bus service (AMTS) with the help of advanced technologies that can provide seamless, fast, reliable, safe and convenient public transportation for the city of Ahmedabad. This is one of the many initiatives being taken by SCADL to make Ahmedabad a truly world class smart city.

The BRT system is now fully operational, while the AMTS service is expected to be operational in the following month. BRT and AMTS are the lifelines of Ahmedabad, serving 150,000 BRT passengers and 600,

000 AMTS passengers daily. This ITMS project will upgrade 230 BRT buses, 158 BRT stations, 850 AMTS buses and 11 major city bus stations. NEC has implemented world class technologies that include an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS), Passenger Information System (PIS), Vehicle Planning Scheduling and Dispatch (VPSD) and a Depot Management System (DMS), apart from dedicated Mobile App and Web Portals for both the BRT and city bus services, in addition to being entrusted with the operations & maintenance of all these systems for next seven years.

Use of advanced ICT and cashless services are two of the main components of the Smart City projects envisaged by the government of India. Under this new system being implemented by NEC, passengers can use smartphones and RuPay-based common mobility payment smart cards for fare payment at BRT stations and inside city buses. Automatic fare gates equipped with validators at BRT stations will ensure convenient and secure access to BRT buses for authorized commuters.

Advanced GPS tracking units installed in all buses will enable the real time tracking and monitoring of buses from a central command center. A real time passenger information system (PIS) installed in buses and at bus stations will provide accurate and timely information regarding the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) of buses, announcements and displays of upcoming bus stops and other useful information to commuters.

Additional systems, such as VPSD and DMS, will help the bus operation agencies to optimize their resources and assets, resulting in overall operational efficiency of the public transport system in Ahmedabad.

"Efficient and sustainable public transport systems equipped with modern technology such as ITMS/AFCS with cashless payment is vital for the Smart City mission of the government of India. We hope that the ITMS and AFCS systems implemented by NEC will make our bus operations more efficient, and help us in providing world class public transport service to commuters in Ahmedabad. We have also integrated the RuPay-based Janmitra card with NEC's AFC system, making it convenient for commuters to travel seamlessly across BRT and AMTS buses. In the future, we plan to extend the reach of this card to other modes of public transport in the city, including taxis and the metro," said Rakesh Shankar, IAS and CEO, Smart City Ahmedabad Development Ltd.

"In order to satisfy growing demand, NEC will utilize its extensive experience with traffic systems, both domestically and internationally, to introduce and integrate a variety of traffic systems to comprehensively support the achievement of a safer and more accurate bus service in Ahmedabad," said Takayuki Inaba, managing director, NEC Technologies India.