Electronic Bus Fare Collection System is part of bus drivers’ world.
The issue was discussed on Friday at a seminar organized by the National Chamber of Bus Drivers Association (CANABUS), where Ángel Miller, international consultant amd general manager of planning and transport systems in Mexico, participated.
According to Molinero, it is important to incorporate the electronic bus fare collection system:
it allows order. By doing it, transport will be regulated, drivers will save time and money and, in this case, Costa Rica will be part of the technology world.
Regarding Mexico’s experience, Molinero told that they started promoting the initiative in 2000 and people thought thay had gone crazy. Six to eight years passed before visualizing an electronic payment. He added that there were the same problems as in Costa Rica, the difference is that drivers are the ones promoting the measure, instead of waiting for an authorities’ decision.
Molinero warned that it is important to separate the issue from road solutions, because Costa Rica needs to expand its roads, specially the ones that connect the south to the north. In addition, some road works must be restored because Costa Rica roads are affected by streams and ravines.
La Periférica Transport company has been implementing the Electronic Bus Fare Collection System for four years and according to its manager Luis Diego González, they have had a lot of benefits, some of them weren’t thought, such as health benefits: since there is not longer hands contacts, influenza a flu cases have decreased. In addition, passengers board faster and they don’t have to wait for the change. Moreover, family budget can now be better distribiuted and fare collection cards can be charged at some specific places.