BKK Automated Fare Collection System Feasibility pre-study
Overview
Background & policy context:
In recent years, there were numerous proposals on reforming the fare system used in Budapest public transport. This should come as no surprise, as Budapest has the most outdated ticket system Europe, with mechanical ticket punchers that are now museum items in the large European cities that Budapest aims to learn from when it comes to the organization of transport. This outdated technology blocks the introduction of ticket types that greatly differ from single-trip tickets and period passes, even though these alternative products are working well and are popular in other cities, and it also inhibits effective action against fare evasion and the counterfeiting of passes
Objectives:
The main aims of the project are as follows:
1. Introducing a new fare system (ease of use, flexible rates, e.g. switching lines without buying a new ticket)
2. Making ticket and pass sales more comfortable and modern, and available in more locations through more channels (e.g. via mobile phone and Internet)
3. Reducing fare evasion by reorganizing controls and making them more systematic (e.g. by installing automatic gates in the metro network instead of relying on ticket inspectors).
4. Eliminating the counterfeiting of tickets and passes
5. Introducing a technological system that, apart from public transport tickets, also handles the collection and processing of payments for parking, Budapest's bike sharing scheme (BuBi) and other transport services.
6. The ticket revenue processing centre of BKK needs to be connected to future the national ticket revenue processing system and the future National Integrated Card System.
7. Contributing to the sustainable financing of public transport and to improving the level of service it provides
Methodology:
The methodology is based on the fact that Budapest is starting with a clean sheet – as there was essentially no change or development in the ticket system or infrastructure in recent decades – and as such, what is under consideration is practically a "green field" investment. Therefore, we felt we had an opportunity and an obligation to make a proposal for a new fare system.
The fundamental principles of the new fare system were derived from the town policy principle that it is in Budapest's interest to motivate the largest possible number of people to use public transport services with regularity, as any increase in the number of people travelling by car causes loss of time at both the individual and the community level and contributes to environmental pollution, which can be significantly reduced by making public transport more attractive to citizens. T
here are several factors that contribute to the attractiveness of public transport: the size and structure of the network, the schedule, the ability to maintain the schedule and the condition of the vehicles. The fare structure and fare levels are similarly important factors, as is the availability of tickets and passes; in one word, the "fare system".
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