E-TICKETING FOR GOVERNMENT'S MASS TRANSIT PROGRAM
KARACHI is one of the largest and fast growing cities in the World in terms of metropolitan population. As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the World, Karachi too faces challenges including traffic and pollution. The daily movement of commuters on dilapidated and old city buses is one of the biggest problems of the city. In order to address the basic requirement of providing decent, safe and economical mass transit system, the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has launched a CNG Bus Pilot Project on July 27, 2009 to offer modern-facilities and ease of commuting to the common man. This project is one-of-its-kind in the country as this is the first time a Mass Transit Program is launched that offers state-of-the-art E-Ticketing Facility. This is also unique in the sense that in the history of Pakistan’s Public Transport System, these buses are the first to ply on the roads without the traditional Conductors/Ticket Checkers.
Global Processing & Marketing (Pvt) Ltd is the sole Technology Provider for the CDGK CNG Buses E-ticketing facility that currently functions in Karachi. GPM has provided complete technological and logistical support to manage and run the project with high efficiency. The bus routes comprise of about 100 Ticketing Booths, as of now, each having two GPRS Point of Sale Terminals Ingenico i7910, deployed and operated by GPM. The terminals generate a ticket every time a CNG Bus chip card is dipped into the machine - these chip cards are available to commuters from every booth. Every time a person wants to board a bus, he dips his card in the Terminal at Auto Window, gets a paper ticket printed OR pays cash and have the Booth Officer give him a paper ticket. The tickets that have been issued to commuters are carefully maintained by them in order to be seated in the buses. All Ingenico i7910 Terminals are equipped with the E-Ticketing Application to offer facilities of Ticket purchase, Balance Reload, Balance Inquiry, Card Sale and Manual Ticketing.
The CDGK project currently comprises of 80 active CNG buses covering major routes of Karachi from one end of the city to the other. In a recent press conference, City Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that, "The federal government has approved the project of CNG buses for Karachi under which 1600 buses will start plying during the current year while the city government will also bring 100 more buses through its own resources."
Regarding the expansion plan, City Mayor further added that, "A total of 4500 CNG buses will be brought to the roads in Karachi with an investment of Rs 2.5 billion, while 4000 buses will be plying in other seven cities of the country."
Cards offered by GPM to CDGK for E-Ticketing Program are ISO7816-4 compliant with a minimum Memory of 4KB. The cards are able to support static & dynamic authentications. Provision for minimum 3 Data Encryption Standard (DES) cryptograph is also there. The cards are rechargeable and can be charged by any desired denomination.
GPM is successfully providing complete technical infrastructure, consultancy, setup and assistance in executing the E-Ticketing facility while actively performing cash collection and management at all booths. Further GPM offers provisions for Booths’ staff management, POS deployment, and other features associated with the project to provide a seamless execution.
GPM also offers extensive Online Reporting through secure login that enables the Transport Department to have access to complete information and all sort of data records and reports pertaining to Prepaid Cardholders, their commuting details, the bus’ numbers, their routes, the amount of fare collected in any given day, and so on. As part of Management, GPM operates a 24 hours Contact Center for reporting of any issue or problem that may occur. Likewise, Backups are also maintained to ensure prompt recovery options.
Another salient feature offered by GPM is the Real-Time Bus’ Coordination that helps in identifying at WHAT time WHICH BUS was at WHICH location? Furthermore, calculations such as Average Route Time Duration, Traffic Congestion, planning other shortest possible routes, etc can be done also.
At present over 50,000 commuters travel daily in these buses and enjoy the convenience of rapid ticket services, easy cash handling and luxurious public transport facility. The volume of tickets being issued on daily buses as of now is over 50,000. According to the CEO of Global Processing & Marketing (Pvt) Limited, Mr. Musharraf Abbas, "The Ticket Volumes, the number of Booth and the number of Routes are all expected to increase exponentially once 1600 buses start plying the road by end of year 2009 and due to further massive expansion plans in next couple of years." Mr. Mustafa Kamal also informed media representatives that a total investment of Rs 3.0 billion will be made in the CNG buses project in the current year 2009.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, Sha'aban 20, 1430, Karachi—City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the federal government has approved the project of CNG buses for Karachi under which 1600 buses will start plying during the current year while the city government will also bring 100 more buses through its own resources. The Federal government will give a subsidy of Rs 300 million for 1600 CNG buses, he said while addressing a hurriedly called press conference on Monday evening after a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Shoukat Tareen. The meeting approved all the details of the project of CNG buses for Karachi and decided that State Bank will release Rs 300 million for this project on Tuesday and these funds will be transferred by Finance Department accordingly. Mustafa Kamal informed media representatives that a total investment of Rs 3 billion will be made in the CNG buses project in the current year. The Ministry of Petroleum and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have already sanctioned the quota for running of CNG buses in Karachi while the City Government has approved the modus operandi for the project under which only those companies will be allowed who would run at least 25 buses. Replying to a question, he said that green buses which were earlier brought in the city had diesel engines while the buses which will come on the roads next will have CNG and LPG kits and all the parts of these buses will be available in market. To another question the City Nazim said that with the efforts of City Government, projects for Karachi are now beginning to be implemented. He said a meeting will be held for Karachi Railway and Bus Rapid System for Karachi on August 17 and 24. Kamal said the case of Karachi has been forwarded to the Federal Government with great success and now other projects will also start coming up on the ground. City Nazim specially thanked President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for taking interest in the projects of Karachi. He also expressed gratitude to Finance Minister Shoukat Tareen, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Khawaja Asif, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Provincial Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani. He made it clear that a total of 4500 CNG buses will be brought to the roads in Karachi with an investment of Rs 2. 5 billion while 4000 buses will be plying in other seven cities of the country.—APP
Global Processing & Marketing (Pvt) Ltd is the sole Technology Provider for the CDGK CNG Buses E-ticketing facility that currently functions in Karachi. GPM has provided complete technological and logistical support to manage and run the project with high efficiency. The bus routes comprise of about 100 Ticketing Booths, as of now, each having two GPRS Point of Sale Terminals Ingenico i7910, deployed and operated by GPM. The terminals generate a ticket every time a CNG Bus chip card is dipped into the machine - these chip cards are available to commuters from every booth. Every time a person wants to board a bus, he dips his card in the Terminal at Auto Window, gets a paper ticket printed OR pays cash and have the Booth Officer give him a paper ticket. The tickets that have been issued to commuters are carefully maintained by them in order to be seated in the buses. All Ingenico i7910 Terminals are equipped with the E-Ticketing Application to offer facilities of Ticket purchase, Balance Reload, Balance Inquiry, Card Sale and Manual Ticketing.
Left to Right: CEO-GPM, Governor Sindh, Federal Finance Minister & Financial Advisor to PM, City Mayor
Regarding the expansion plan, City Mayor further added that, "A total of 4500 CNG buses will be brought to the roads in Karachi with an investment of Rs 2.5 billion, while 4000 buses will be plying in other seven cities of the country."
Cards offered by GPM to CDGK for E-Ticketing Program are ISO7816-4 compliant with a minimum Memory of 4KB. The cards are able to support static & dynamic authentications. Provision for minimum 3 Data Encryption Standard (DES) cryptograph is also there. The cards are rechargeable and can be charged by any desired denomination.
GPM is successfully providing complete technical infrastructure, consultancy, setup and assistance in executing the E-Ticketing facility while actively performing cash collection and management at all booths. Further GPM offers provisions for Booths’ staff management, POS deployment, and other features associated with the project to provide a seamless execution.
GPM also offers extensive Online Reporting through secure login that enables the Transport Department to have access to complete information and all sort of data records and reports pertaining to Prepaid Cardholders, their commuting details, the bus’ numbers, their routes, the amount of fare collected in any given day, and so on. As part of Management, GPM operates a 24 hours Contact Center for reporting of any issue or problem that may occur. Likewise, Backups are also maintained to ensure prompt recovery options.
Another salient feature offered by GPM is the Real-Time Bus’ Coordination that helps in identifying at WHAT time WHICH BUS was at WHICH location? Furthermore, calculations such as Average Route Time Duration, Traffic Congestion, planning other shortest possible routes, etc can be done also.
City Mayor purchasing an E-Ticket via chip-card at the Booth to commute in newly launched CNG Bus.
FG Approves CNG Bus Project for Karachi
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, Sha'aban 20, 1430, Karachi—City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the federal government has approved the project of CNG buses for Karachi under which 1600 buses will start plying during the current year while the city government will also bring 100 more buses through its own resources. The Federal government will give a subsidy of Rs 300 million for 1600 CNG buses, he said while addressing a hurriedly called press conference on Monday evening after a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Shoukat Tareen. The meeting approved all the details of the project of CNG buses for Karachi and decided that State Bank will release Rs 300 million for this project on Tuesday and these funds will be transferred by Finance Department accordingly. Mustafa Kamal informed media representatives that a total investment of Rs 3 billion will be made in the CNG buses project in the current year. The Ministry of Petroleum and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have already sanctioned the quota for running of CNG buses in Karachi while the City Government has approved the modus operandi for the project under which only those companies will be allowed who would run at least 25 buses. Replying to a question, he said that green buses which were earlier brought in the city had diesel engines while the buses which will come on the roads next will have CNG and LPG kits and all the parts of these buses will be available in market. To another question the City Nazim said that with the efforts of City Government, projects for Karachi are now beginning to be implemented. He said a meeting will be held for Karachi Railway and Bus Rapid System for Karachi on August 17 and 24. Kamal said the case of Karachi has been forwarded to the Federal Government with great success and now other projects will also start coming up on the ground. City Nazim specially thanked President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for taking interest in the projects of Karachi. He also expressed gratitude to Finance Minister Shoukat Tareen, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Khawaja Asif, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Provincial Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani. He made it clear that a total of 4500 CNG buses will be brought to the roads in Karachi with an investment of Rs 2. 5 billion while 4000 buses will be plying in other seven cities of the country.—APP