According to a study by TERI, India’s urban population is expected to grow from 410 million in 2014 to 814 million by 2050.The report also stated that India will have seven megacities by 2030. With so many citizens migrating to urban areas, the congestion on roads is bound to increase. Sadly, many Indian cities have made it to the global list of the most congested cities. As public transportation forms an integral part of any city, it is more important than ever for cities to adopt smart and sustainable solutions to avoid overburdening on resources.

1. Automated Fare Collection (AFC)&
National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC):
Driving Smart Mobility in India
According to a study by TERI, India’s urban population is expected to
grow from 410 million in 2014 to 814 million by 2050.The report also stated
that India will have seven megacities by 2030. With so many citizens
migrating to urban areas, the congestion on roads is bound to increase. Sadly,
many Indian cities have made it to the global list of the most congested cities.
As public transportation forms an integral part of any city, it is more
important than ever for cities to adopt smart and sustainable solutions to
avoid overburdening on resources.
Smart mobility solutions can improve the efficiency of the entire
transportation system.It provides seamless commute between different modes
of transport.With new-age technologies and solutions such as Internet of
Things (IoT), Automatic Fare Collection (AFC), and cards such as National
Common Mobility Card (NCMC), the public transportation system in India
has made a significant stride towards a smart future. India has taken
inspiration from countries such as Singapore to implement best-in-class
technologies in metros, water jetties and other modes of rapid transit systems
for ensuring a swift, eco-friendly and hassle-free commute experience.

2. AGS Transact Technologies fosters smart card-based travel by integrating
Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) into leading travel infrastructure systems.
The company successfully deployed and launched automated smart ticketing
system at Punjab Bus Metro Society at Amritsar and an automated fare
collection system at Kochi Metro Rail Limited at Kochi.
Let us understand various Smart Mobility Solutions that can potentially
transform the mobility sector in India.
Automatic Fare Collection
Automatic Fare Collection(AFC) is a framework of hardware and software
solutions for fare collection at entry and exit touch points at public transport
networks such as metro trains, bus rapid transit system enabled buses and
boats. This solution is instrumental in streamlining the fare collection process
across the value chain. It makes public transportation more efficient,
affordable and accessible to the public at large.
The integration of solutions such as QR codes, near-field communication,
wallets etc. and implementation of interoperability has resulted in a rapid
adoption of AFC solutions in India.
Modes of Fare Collection in an AFC System
1. QR Codes – Paper-less and paper-based
2. Contactless Tokens – Single journey or return journey
3. Mobility Cards – Closed-loop, semi-open loop, open-loop
(interoperable prepaid cardssuch as NCMC Cards)
4. NFC ticketing(based on near-field technology)
National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC)
A robust toll collection system for national& State highways and high-
density roadway systems, NETC is a paperless and cashless model based on
a passive RFID technology that improves overall time and efficiency for
consumers.It offers an interoperable toll payment solution for managing toll
collection digitally across national & state highways. NPCI’s FASTag is the
device through which all national& state highways across India accept digital
payments at toll plazas.
With use of FASTagbeing mandated across highways in India, many
commuters can now seamlessly and swiftly zip through toll plazas. As the
RFID tag is scanned immediately and from a distance, the queuing time has
reduced significantly. FASTag also streamlines the cash management process

3. at toll plazas. Consequently, this will result in reduced fuel consumption and
benefit the vehicle in terms of mileage.
Benefits of smart mobility solutions
1. Reduced cash-handling costs
The transitindustry in India has primarily been cash intensive. Hence,
solutions like Automatic Fare Collection and National Electronic Toll
Collection(NETC) ensure more efficient processes as the transactions are
processed, tracked and reconciled digitally. This also brings in more
transparency across the ticketing & toll collection process.
2. Data-driven initiatives
As all the transaction data is captured digitally, smart mobility
solutions enable payment players, participating banks, metro rail,
BRTS, national highways etc., to customise offerings forcustomers
by the means of their commute history. For instance, metros can
introducea discounted price for customers travelling during certain
hours. It may also run a loyalty program for students or working
professionals travelling daily.
3. Smarter & swifter checkouts
The most evident benefit of these mobility solutions is ensuring
smarter and swifter checkouts. With urbanised population taking
mass transit modes on a daily basis, AFC helps in reducing
crowding at entry or exit checkouts. Paper-less solutions such as
National Common Mobility Card and QR Codes enable commuters
to exit and enter stations by simply tapping or scanning a
code.Similarly, FASTag ensures that the queues at toll plazas are
reduced and congestion is minimised.
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