Istanbul, Turkey is a city of 14 million people with multiple forms of public transportations operated by multiple agencies. This created a very complex array of fare and transfer schedules. An electronic fare collection system was developed that would be flexible enough to accommodate a widely varying set of requirements. In addition, the system needed to be low cost to implement and maintain, preferably by local engineers. The electronic token carried by the public also needed to be inexpensive so that the average person could afford it. Therefore, a critical system requirement was a highly durable token that could last for many years, thus minimizing the cost per year of ownership as well as any re-issuing or replacement costs. Finally, the system needed to be easily and inexpensively expandable and upgradeable so that additional requirements that were not originally comprehended might be added later. This paper describes the development and current status of such a system, as well as future expansions that are envisioned.
Samenvatting