Surat, 06 March, 2018 – NEC Technologies India, together with NEC Corporation, today announced the implementation of an Automatic Bus Fare Collection (AFC) system in the diamond and textile capital of India, Surat city. Surat Smart City Development Ltd. (SSCDL) under Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) awarded this contract to NEC in May 2017. Phase 1 of the AFC system, consisting of cash-based QR ticketing in around 300 city buses using Hand Held Ticketing (HHT) machines and a Mobile App called Surat Sitilink, was launched in Oct 2017 and phase 2, with Rupay-based smart card fare payment using fare gates and validators at BRT stations, is being made operational now in the city’s 195 BRT stations and 650 city buses.  

The AFC system uses contactless Rupay-based smart cards for accurate and reliable fare collection. Based on the collected data, the number of passengers getting on or off a bus is obtained for each station, and revenue management is performed. It eliminates the need for passengers to buy a ticket each time they take a bus, thus providing convenient and eco-friendly mobility to citizens of Surat City. These Rupay-based smart cards can be easily purchased and recharged at multiple service delivery points spread over city, including civic centres of SMC & BRT stations, using notes, coins and bankcards.

It is estimated that 200,000 commuters per day across the city will benefit from this system, creating greater convenience and enhancing commuter satisfaction.

NEC is also entrusted with the operations and maintenance of the system, including a bus operations Command Control Centre (CCC) at the SMC, for the next 7 years.

“An efficient and sustainable public transport system equipped with modern technology, such as an Automatic Fare Collection system with cashless payment, is the need of the hour in view of the Smart City mission of the Government of India. We hope that the AFC system implemented by NEC will bring transparency to the fare collection and help us in providing world class public transport service to commuters. We have also integrated the Rupay-based Surat Money smart card with the AFC system by NEC making it convenient for commuters to travel seamlessly across BRT and city buses. In the future, we plan to extend the reach of this card to other modes of public transport in the city, like taxis and the Metro as well,” said Shri M. Thennarasan, IAS and Municipal Commissioner of SMC.

“Rapid urbanization and the push of Government for India’s smart cities mission demand for a safe, secure, efficient and reliable public transportation system to support the growth of the city.”

“We are proud to be one of the first few companies in India to provide such advanced cutting-edge technology to public transport operators in India. At the same time, we are also pleased to announce the launch of NEC’s smart transportation solutions for the Indian market. NEC Technologies India is committed to deliver seamlessly integrated transport systems which will support urban infrastructure and provide a more efficient mode of transport to Indian communities,” said Takayuki Inaba, Managing Director, NEC Technologies India Private Limited.

About NEC Technologies India Private Limited

NEC is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies and brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to provide solutions for empowering people, businesses and society. Headquartered in Japan, NEC started operations in India in the 1950s, accelerating its growth through the expansion of business to global markets. NEC in India expanded its business from telecommunications to public safety, logistics, transportation, retail, finance, unified communication and IT platforms, serving across governments, businesses as well as individuals. With its Centre of Excellence for analytics platform solutions, big data, biometrics, mobile and retail, NEC in India offers innovative new services and solutions for Indian and global markets. NEC operates across India with offices in New Delhi (head office), Noida, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru. For further information please visit: http://in.nec.com

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company’s experience and global resources, NEC’s advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society.  For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com

The NEC Group globally provides “Solutions for Society” that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company’s corporate message of “Orchestrating a brighter world,” NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit
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