Automatic Passenger Counters for Improving Public Transport
Fleet companies that operate cabs, buses, and coaches and companies that manage public trains and trams need to keep data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting for accountability. Earlier, manual counting was the only way to record such data.
But today, technology has really changed how things are done. These public transport vehicles are fitted with automatic passenger counting (APC) devices that will actually transmit the tally in real time to a remote location.
The availability of such technology is a big invention in the public transport sector that has brought numerous positive changes. Let us dive deeper into how the sector has changed through using APC devices.
Concepts Involved
Counting the tickets: Companies that manage metros, trains, buses, and cabs get their primary data from the booked tickets. When people book online or buy a ticket at the station, the data is kept as a positive sale of the seat. This data is later used to reconcile revenue and get data to make decisions.
Installing APC devices
A more advanced way of acquiring data in the public transport sector is through installing APC devices from a reliable seller such as the Eyeride website.
They use cameras, sensors, and infrared technology to detect passengers when they board and alight. They provide more accurate data and increase the transparency, accountability, and productivity of companies.
Benefits of APC for Public Transport
These devices increase profits in the public transport system because all revenue can be accounted for. Before these devices, a lot of revenue would be lost to fraud.
This is now one more step in securing all the revenue from transport fares. When revenue control is managed by a different department from the accounts, the two must tally.
Another benefit is the increase in accountability. Drivers are no longer asked to justify the income of the buses they drive because the APC devices provide all data that is needed. The good thing is that the data is transmitted in real time and that any issues can be questioned immediately.
The reduction of conflicts between drivers and the crews of buses and trains has been recorded since the introduction of APC devices. The crew no longer has to file a manual report that could result in erroneous data. APC devices are exceptionally accurate and will match with sales.
Accident reduction is the last benefit we will discuss today. In addition to sensors that count passengers, weight sensors on the floor detect the weight of luggage and passengers and issue a warning when the maximum weight is reached.
On trams, the operators are informed of the amount of brake pressure they must apply depending on the weight carried.
Positive changes
APC technology is indeed a game changer in the public transport sector. Actually, it has brought many more positive changes than what we have discussed here.
From the above insights, it is clear that this technology is worth adopting in your fleet company if it deals with passengers. It does not matter how small the company is because it will benefit greatly.