The manufacturer Hoeft & Wessel AG will supply ticketing vending machines (TVM’s) to the Silesia agglomeration. Asseco Poland S.A. has now ordered 109 TVM’s of the “almex.station” product series within the Silesian Card of Public Services (ŚKUP) project. First machines (40 units) will be supplied in September 2012.
ŚKUP is a tool which supports the popularization of electronic services in the public administration. The implementation of ŚKUP will contribute to increase in number of the public services provided by the use of hi-tech computer technologies, thereby to increase in number of the public services accomplished in the framework of e-Administration and Intelligent Transportation System.
According to the Municipal Transport Union of the Upper Silesian Industrial District (KZK GOP) – an investor of ŚKUP headquartered in Katowice – as a result the Silesian Card of Public Services will be of key importance for the development of electronic public services in the Silesian agglomeration and will have a strong impact on competitiveness not only the institutions involved in its implementation but also on the all region.
The new generation of terminals will be set up at bus and tram stops. These TVM’s are part of a project for the introduction of a new smart card featuring RFID readers’ technology.
The rechargeable ŚKUP card can be used both to pay for tickets and for services offered by municipal facilities. It itself can also be bought at the new TVM’s. As a result, the terminals themselves also feature as a key distribution channel for the new means of payment. Moreover, the RFID card can also be topped up at the TVM’s.
Main contractors of the comprehensive smart card project are the Polish companies Asseco Poland S.A. and BRE Bank S.A. Asseco is the seventh largest IT provider in Europe and market leader in Poland with key focus of its business operations in Eastern Europe. BRE Bank is one of the top Polish providers of comprehensive corporate banking service. The ŚKUP contract is estimated at PLN 190 million.
The region of Upper Silesia has roughly 2 million inhabitants. With its 250 trams and 1 000 line buses, KZK GOP carries 300 million passengers per annum. Within the project, 700 000 ŚKUP cards, 232 parking meters and 109 TVM’s will be provided. The first 40 TVM’s will appear on the Silesian agglomeration’s streets in September this year, the remaining 69 will be delivered by May 2013.
Thanks to their 15″ (381 mm) touch displays, the new TVM’s are easy and convenient to operate. At the new “almex.station” terminals, payment can be made both in cash and using EMV contactless credit cards – and the new ŚKUP smart card. The terminals are already prepared for a possible introduction of the euro. Hoeft & Wessel provides over 10 000 TVM’s throughout Europe.
Hoeft & Wessel is the leading IT and engineering technology group for ticketing, parking and mobile solutions in Germany and Great Britain. It was established in 1978.