Sofia has chosen Mikroelektronika
On the end of year 2006 Sofia, the capital city of Buulgaria, has chosen Mikroelektronika as the main supplier of the new fare collection system based on contactless smart cards.
It's a pleasure for us to participate in this project as a local partner of Microelectronika and provide the installment of the ticket system in all vehicles of the public transport.
The first phase of the project includes 475 trams and trolleybuses. Following phases should involve another 800 buses.
 |  |  |
| All vehicles will be equipped with fare boxes MS (coin systems) | contactless smart card terminals Camel | and control units ZJ |
The contract further includes a supply of a complete back office software for data preparation, data transfer and data processing, equipment for points of sale and other workplaces.
What is it Automated fare collection system
A complex fare collection system covers a complete range of services for passengers as well as provides full system control thanks to the FareOn managing information system.
Fare collection is carried out by electronic fare documents based on contactless chip cards. Contactless cards are mainly used as electronic purses or time coupons. Primary sale is provided by points of sale (POS). Time coupon extending and electronic purse recharging can be done either on board or at vending machines.
The fare collection system is further connected to the information systems in vehicles, at stations or at dispatch centres. Passengers are thus informed about actual transport possibilities and dispatchers can monitor the current transport situation.
All devices and workplaces relevant to the fare collection system are connected to a central database. Two-way transmission of operational data is automatic. Data transfer from vehicles is carried out via W-LAN, generally during presence in depots. Data transfer from other devices and locations is realised via LAN or GPRS. Data transfer is done in the same way in the opposite direction. Vehicles are located by GPS with on-line GPRS data transmission to the centre.
The whole ticketing system is managed by the SW FareOn. FareOn is a set of applications, which clearly and easily attend P.O.S., inspection and dispatching centres and provide data preparation, data transfer and data processing functions. It is a practical tool for efective ticketing management. A fully automated systems, also known as intelligent public transport systems, give operators the advantage of the fastest data update in all devices involved in the system. Moreover, it brings valuable operational information, necessary for system optimalization and adaptation to passenger’s demands. Moreover, at any time the operator can see the state and actual activity of any device related to the system.
