Buses are getting smart

Faster Information, more convenient ticketing and more efficient mobility mangement

Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) and their subsidiary, Tochtergesellschaft Ratzeburg-Möllner Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (RMVB), along with Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg mbH (KViP) will be right at the forefront when it comes to efficient management of their bus system. Soon, a fully integrated end-to-end solution provided by INIT will help create a smarter operations management, reliable passenger information and convenient ticketing system for the three transport Providers.

The contract between INIT and the three transport operators was one of the biggest tenders for public transport telematics and payment systems in Germany in recent years. VHH carries more than 100 million passengers every year, making it the second-largest public transport company in northern Germany. VHH aims to develop a completely new information infrastructure – for the benefit of its passengers, its partners and the company itself. The entire system is set to be installed while existing systems are still operational, without any noticeable disruption for passengers. This is why VHH has put its full trust in the extensive experience of INIT, based on more than 600 successfully implemented projects worldwide.

Integrated control, passenger Information and ticketing system

In the future, the heart of the control centre will be the Intermodal Transport Control System, MOBILE-ITCS, the control system for the entire public transport network. The system covers everything from depots to vehicles, bus stops, and the integration of partner companies. It collects and processes all data and supplies it to where it is needed in real time – the operations centre, on-board computers in buses, wayside displays, and passengers’ smartphones.

At the heart of the buses will be the EVENDpc2 – a multi-purpose combined on-board computer and ticketing unit, handling not only traffic and vehicle information, but smart ticketing too. Whether passengers are paying via cash, customer card, or smartphone, this unit takes care of everything related to fare management and ticketing. This makes payments easier, faster, and cheaper for both passengers and the public transport operator alike.

The radio system will also be renewed to ensure smooth operations and further advance the service quality within the network area. A high level of radio coverage and speech intelligibility within the core service area are therefore mandatory to VHH. The decision for the renewal of the analog radio system was made particularly with regards to the wish to have unshared access to the radio system. In addition, the hybrid radio solution from INIT covers speech and data communications outside the core service area by public mobile radio. The implementation of the innovative VoC technique (Voice-over-IP by public mobil radio) allows even for a comfortable handling of group calls.

Therefore, it is not surprising that VHH wants the system up and running as soon as possible. In addition to upgrading the equipment at the control centre, the radio system and the units aboard 600 buses, 110 bus stop displays and multiple complex interfaces need to be installed. The project should be completed by mid-2019: the 154 VHH bus lines will become a cuttingedge mobility system.

INIT makes mobility easy, efficient, and reliable, for both passengers and the people operating our systems. We are providing VHH and their partners with a fully integrated end-to-end system with maximum vertical integration. Our all-in-one solution covers data management, the ITCS, statistics, electronic fare management, and one of the most modern vehicle systems on the market. We expect this solution will also impress other public transport operators in the Region.

Dr. Gottfried Greschner

Chief Executive Officer of init SE

Contact

Klaus Janke

Executive Director
INIT GmbH
Germany

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This article was published in our customer magazine INITiative, issue 2/2017. If you want to receive the magazine regularly per e-mail, we kindly ask you to subscribe.

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