Pilot project of ticket vending machine diagnostics in Brno
The pilot project of ticket vending machine diagnostics in Brno started on 16 June 2009, when the first ten vending machines and the control centre were equipped with a diagnostic system. The pilot project is currently in the testing phase. Tests are planned to finish on 15 August 2009. The remaining 142 vending machines will be equipped in the next year depending on how well the system functions and including the possible requests for changes.
The pilot project is part of one of the measures that Brno is implementing with CIVITAS ELAN. Before its launch, there were several problems with the functioning of machines, but these have been addressed and solutions found. Currently, the system of administration and maintenance of vending machines is based on periodical checks by maintenance workers or passengers’ announcements that they are out-of-order. These checks are carried out depending on the location of the vending machines - e.g. daily in the centre but only once a week in some other areas. DPMB, as a dominant public transport operator in the city of Brno, has no information about functioning failures until the maintenance workers come for the regular checks. As a result, the machine can breakdown immediately after the maintenance workers leave and the machine will be out of order until the next maintenance check. As part of this measure, the city of Brno intends to introduce a new system for the diagnostics of vending machine operating conditions. A system of wireless modems will be installed and they will automatically send a message to the control centre if there is a problem. This will enable maintenance workers to act more quickly and efficiently, thus increasing the quality of the service and improve customer satisfaction.
Author: Zdeněk JarolĂn
