Moncton City Council approved a $2.4 million purchase of new fareboxes, and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) systems for Codiac Transpo buses last night.
General Manager Angela Allain says the new digital fareboxes will improve the transfer system, which is currently all paper based.
“This farebox, customers can request their own transfer, just by pushing a button, and it’ll have a timestamp on it, so when they get on the next bus, they can scan that transfer and just board,” says Allain. “It just gives the more control of their trip.”
Allain says the system can be upgraded to provide extra capability over time, like CCTV cameras, and additional payment methods.
“With a mobile payment, like a tap and go type of system, where they could use debit cards, or credit cards, or an app,” says Allain. “So it really opens the platform to have those things in the future, they won’t be launched immediately, but it sets the base for that to all be possible.”
Allain expected to be able to have those additional payment options up and running within two years, saying it would take at least six to nine months for the devices to be constructed, and will likely be a year before they are in use.
She adds these new systems are integrated, and the fareboxes include passenger counters.
“There’s a lot of components […] so we’ll be able to see from the passenger count information at the farebox, and the CAD/AVL gives us the timestamp and the location where they boarded to give us full travel pattern data.”
Allain says no personal data will be collected, that data will be anonymous data points, adding this will allow them to see the efficiency of their bus routes, and to ensure passengers are getting the best service.
There will be no job losses or additions with the acquiring of this new technology, Allain says with the work outsourced to TripSpark technologies.
Allain adds there is some backoffice work that will remain, but they won’t need to add more employees for that.
She says after financial contributions from Dieppe, Riverview, and the federal and provincial governments, the City of Moncton is only paying $1.4 million.
In terms of annual operating costs, the City of Moncton will pay $35,458, with the City of Dieppe kicking in $,4172, and the Town of Riverview adding $2,086.
The cost sharing is determined on a ‘contribution per bus’ basis for the farebox upgrade.
