Bar-code reader
Smart paper tickets use two main formats:
- Holographic images
- Bar-codes
Please refer to the section smart paper tickets for details of the tickets and their application in the passenger transport sector.
Holographic images are for visual inspection by drivers/conductors and by revenue protection personnel. They are not intended to be machine-readable (at least not as used in the passenger transport sector) and hence there are no known cases of holographic image readers for vehicles or transit entry points.
Smart paper tickets with bar-codes are intended to be machine-readable, though. Bar-code readers are devices which scan bar-codes and decode the contained information for subsequent processing.
Bar-code readers are generic devices which pass information to other devices. They can be stand-alone units with cable or wireless connection to other devices, or they can be embedded in other devices (e.g. gates, fare-boxes).
In the public transport sector, barcode readers are used for the following applications:
- To check the validity of passes
- To check that validity of pre-issued travel tickets
- To record the usage of various fare products
- To activate other devices when validity is confirmed – e.g. gates, turnstiles
- Inventory control on value stock
- Additional security feature for ticket stock
Bar-codes tend to be used where the processing time is not critical to passenger flow or dwell times.
Benefits of bar-code readers are:
- The devices are generic and mass-produced; this leads to a wide choice of supplier, and lower cost.
- The technology is robust and well-established.
- Bar-code readers can be integrated with other devices.
- No moving parts, so inherently reliable.
- Transaction data can be generated for downstream processing.
Cautions with regard to bar-code readers are:
- Bar-code readers need to be purchased and maintained.
- Customers may experience difficulty in lining up their ticket properly to scan the bar-code; this causes delays and frustration for the customer.