Sick of standing in line behind absent-minded commuters fumbling around for their fare cards?
Or stuck in a queue behind those who insist on scanning their entire bag at the gantry gate?
Such situations can finally be a thing of the past, as we are now a step closer to hands-free transport fare payment.
Travellers will soon get to walk straight onto a train platform without the need to tap their EZ-Link cards or to even bypass a physical barrier.
Sounds pretty similar to our EZ-Link charms?
The region’s first gateless hands-free AFC system was unveiled by ST Engineering during the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition (SITCE).
Commuters will be issued an RFID card, wristband or key tag which will be automatically detected by the system as they approach the passageway.
The passageway will be lighted up in green or red, depending on whether the commuter has paid to travel.
If a traveller were to pass through without a RFID card or payment device, the gate will light up in red and the face of the traveller will be photographed.
Such security features are used to facilitate enforcement action and to prevent tailgating or payment evasion by errant commuters.
AFC allows each commuter verification at the fare gates to only take less than one second.
The current MRT fare gate system takes around 1 1/2 seconds.
This optimises operational efficiency for rail operators by over 50%. Thus, it will help to smoothen the process of boarding especially during peak hours.
A similar hands-free ticketing technology trial beginning on 22 Jun has already been launched. It will be running for a period of 6 months.
4 MRT stations – Bedok, Kembangan, Redhill and Tiong Bahru – are involved in the trial to assist 50 passengers with disabilities to enter and exit train stations with ease.
Participants will no longer tap in or out with their EZ-link cards.
Instead, they’ll use an RFID test card or a bluetooth-enabled mobile phone with a dedicated app.
Check out a sneak preview of the seamless traveling experience commuters are set to experience in this video.
This AFC system adopts long-range radio-frequency identification (RFID), facial recognition and stereoscopic people-counting camera technologies.
Fyi, RFID technology is similar to what retailers use at their shops to deter shoplifters.
Travelling without the hassle of tapping EZ-link cards could soon become a reality for Singapore’s public transport system.
We’ve said goodbye to hole-punching fare cards, and cards that needed to be inserted.
We hope it won’t be long till we can bid a fond farewell to EZ-link cards too.
Featured image from Gov.sg and ST Engineering Facebook.
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