Skip to main content

Indra to implement smart technology for Ecuador tram system

Indra is to provide the engineering, supply and implementation of tram priority and signage systems, along with access control and ticketing for the new tram system in Cuenca, the third-largest city in Ecuador. The system is currently under construction and is expected to begin operating in June 2016. It will be used by around 120,000 passengers a day, or 39 million a year. The aim is to incorporate the transport mode into the Integrated Mobility System, reduce the current levels of traffic and green
December 10, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
509 Indra is to provide the engineering, supply and implementation of tram priority and signage systems, along with access control and ticketing for the new tram system in Cuenca, the third-largest city in Ecuador.

The system is currently under construction and is expected to begin operating in June 2016. It will be used by around 120,000 passengers a day, or 39 million a year.

The aim is to incorporate the transport mode into the Integrated Mobility System, reduce the current levels of traffic and greenhouse gas emissions and optimise mobility throughout the historic centre, which in 1999 was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, promoting the use of the tram and discouraging private traffic.

The road and tram signposting systems to be implemented by Indra will enable management of mobility in both the areas the tram passes through and other areas that may be affected by it. Indra will upgrade the current technology in the urban traffic control centre in Cuenca and implement new software that will enable the integrated management, control and optimisation of traffic in the area.

In addition, thanks to a traffic-light priority system that will be integrated with the rest of the Cuenca tram subsystems, the signposting will give priority to the tram over private vehicles, ensuring it adheres to its and encouraging citizens to opt for public transport in line with the planning goals of the municipal government.

Indra will also install its latest-generation contactless ticketing system to enhance the service and information provided to passengers and streamline the control, financial management and tracking of resources.

Passengers can top up contactless cards in automatic ticketing machines to be installed at all the 28 stops along the route and validate them in the access control systems. Public assistance and customisation points will be set up in several cities to include the holders' details and photo on the card along with their user profile.

The solution will also include portable sales and inspection equipment, which will allow card top-ups and sales and the inspection of both contactless cards and one-way tickets intended for occasional passengers.

Related Content

  • December 10, 2015
    Phoenix rises to the Smart City challenge
    Andrew Bardin Williams looks at the City of Phoenix where voters backed a $30bn plan to revamp its transportation network to cultivate a more connected community. According to a Land Use Institute study, half of all Americans and even more millennials (63%) would like to live in a place where they do not need to use a car very often. The City of Phoenix is putting in place plans to revamp its urban development and transportation policies to meet these changing quality of life perceptions.
  • January 2, 2013
    Rapid transit bus route for Mexico
    The first step towards a long-awaited reform of Tijuana’s antiquated and inefficient public transportation system is scheduled to begin early in 2013, with the construction of a 10.5 mile rapid-transit bus route linking the San Ysidro border to the eastern El Florido area of the city. The city is currently served by a disorganised network of buses and taxis. The US$123 million project, known as Ruta Troncal Número 1, is expected to serve more than 120,000 residents a day. Mexico’s federal development bank,
  • May 29, 2013
    Cubic unveils new virtual ticketing office
    According to Cubic Transportation Systems, its newly-launched NextAgent is a radical new concept in transport ticketing using high-speed video links that enable passengers to interact with ticketing staff in real time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A hybrid of ticket office, call centre and ticket vending machine, NextAgent enables transit operators to respond to a number of significant trends in ticketing, including a preference from some passengers for the regular or occasional option of purchasing tic
  • February 23, 2017
    Single system simplicity for smarter city transport
    All encompassing, city-wide transport monitoring and control systems are beginning to make their way onto the market, as Colin Sowman hears. The futuristic vision of cities where everything is connected and operated with maximum efficiency by a gigantic computer remains a distant prospect but related sectors and services are beginning to coalesce: transport monitoring and control for instance.