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INIT adds Finnish market to its map

Posted: 17 October 2013 | INIT | No comments yet

INIT will implement an Intermodal Transport Control System and a ticketing system and supply the appropriate hardware and software for public transport in the port city of Turku…

Finland has been an important target market for INIT for several years. Having founded a Finnish subsidiary, INIT has now netted its first major contract there. INIT will implement an Intermodal Transport Control System (ITCS) and a ticketing system and supply the appropriate hardware and software for public transport in the port city of Turku.

“Finland may be new on the map of our customers, but we know the country and the needs of the local transport companies very well,” says INIT CEO Dr Gottfried Greschner, who speaks a little Finnish himself. “We took a long time preparing our entry on the market. This success now confirms that we took the right approach.”

State-of-the-art solutions for a sustainable mobility concept

Finland’s most state-of-the-art public transport system is currently under development in the country’s third-largest conurbation. The transport authorities in Turku have decided to expand the geographic bus network with several new lines, a far-reaching project might include new tram lines as well. The project is part of a concept spanning all the area’s transport companies, designed to improve mobility within the conurbation while at the same time cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The authorities have therefore chosen the most state-of-the-art solution currently available to control their public transport and connect it to other transport guidance systems: an integrated telematics, passenger information and electronic fare collection system from INIT.

At first, some 200 vehicles will be connected to the system and fitted with an EVENDpc, a combined on-board computer and ticket printer developed by INIT. This terminal forms the core of the system, taking care of ticketing and control functions within the vehicle and guaranteeing perfect communication with head office. This is an important precondition if passengers are to be provided with reliable real-time information on all channels, such as displays, over the Internet and on smart phones.

The system won’t only enable passengers to plan their journeys better, however. Transport companies in particular will be able to improve their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Real-time information about traffic as well as on the position and condition of individual vehicles allows transport companies to react quickly to unforeseen circumstances or breakdowns. This helps increase efficiency in the deployment of vehicles as well as improve punctuality.

This is partly enabled by a self-service terminal for passengers that supports all forms of on-board e-ticketing. Thanks to this solution – called PROXmobil – passengers can get on vehicles more quickly and waiting times can be cut. This also measurably increases service quality and customer satisfaction.

Turku has its eyes on 2030 – with INIT by its side

One special feature of INIT’s solution for Turku is that it can be closely integrated with those of other transport companies and modes of transport – a function known as intermodality or interoperability. Its standardised interfaces can therefore be used to transfer important data between systems while maintaining the confidentiality of each company’s data at all times. This is particularly important with regard to fare collection, for which INIT also supplies the necessary software.

Another advantage of INIT’s integrated system solution is its modularity, enabling functions to be added at a later date. The transport authority in Turku therefore included various options in its contract with INIT so that its public transport network can be integrated seamlessly into the sustainable total mobility concept that runs until 2030. This concept is based on a long-term development plan drawn up by the Finnish Transport Ministry that includes integrated, sustainable mobility management for all transport systems to ensure the efficient use of resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“Turku’s transport authorities have set the standard with this sustainable approach. We are all the more pleased that INIT was chosen as a long-term partner for this undertaking,” says Dr Gottfried Greschner.

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