The reduction of the purchasing power in many European countries triggered by the economic recession determined an increase in the number of passengers who choose the train as a convenient means of transport, without having to pay for the ticket. This aspect has been observed all over Europe. According to statistics, in many regions this phenomenon has increased by 15% compared to the pre-recession period.
Transport operators have been very inspired in protecting the service that they are selling. They implemented ticketing systems to reduce fraud starting with 3 or 4 years ago, following the example set by Trenitalia, which implemented a very efficient passenger control system on-board common passenger trains. This system validates tickets and passes both on the ground, before departure, and at destination. This program
operates even today. Both Trenitalia employees and train inspectors validate tickets. How does this system work? It’s simple. Passengers form a queue in specially designed spaces and whoever doesn’t have a valid ticket for the respective journey has to leave the queue. In Italy, in case of high-speed trains, the ticket validation is performed on-board the train. However, this way, the chances of finding someone without a ticket are very low. The distance in-between the stations is very long and the fines amount to several tens of euros. The efficiency of this system has been tested and applied in many countries. However, many more are still working on implementing similar projects.
“Access gateways”
CFR Călători, the largest passenger transport operator in Romania, is currently working on a project called “Access gateways”, which will be implemented at Bucharest-Basarab railway stations. After its homologation, based on the available funding, the project will be extended to several other railway stations. “This project allows the validation of train tickets when entering and exiting the platform, thus reducing fraud almost to nothing. This is an extremely efficient solution, because the passenger has to go through a double check”, claim CFR Călători officials. Why hasn’t this project been developed until now? The answer could very well be deduced: the lack of funds allocated for the local railway segment, which determines the lack of special programs. “Although the results are very good and immediate, the cost of implementing such a program cannot be overlooked”. However, before having to implement the new system, officials say that they are protected by the sale of electronic tickets. “The chances of fraud are highly reduced due to the new generation protection software which holds these systems
together. As for the money cashed in at the ticket selling counters, we have installed security systems and alarm systems connected to the Railway Transport Police dispatch and several other confidential systems”.
Keeping up with technology
An efficient monitoring could be implemented for other, more modern, selling means as well, such as mobile phones and multimedia players. These applications can be very efficient for the transport operators as well, by eliminating the additional cost of setting up ticket selling counters. Moreover, passengers can buy tickets at any time, without running the risk of not finding an open ticket selling counter. Hong Kong, which is famous for its high technology, has implemented a “contactless” ticketing system called Octopus. Considered to be highly efficient, this system relies on a multifunctional card which can be used in parking lots and supermarkets as well. In Europe, the French operator SNCF Proximité has developed a similar program, which provides passengers with the possibility of checking the timetable on their mobile phones, as well as other useful information about the possible connections with other public transport networks or even the number of available seats. The access to the new technologies that transport operators provide to their passengers determines the increase in the number of people who prefer the train as an efficient long-distance means of transport. At the same time, the security checks are more easily accepted, because they represent a vote of confidence for those who choose this means of transport.
by Ionela Micu
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