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

  • March 24, 2015
    Tenerife opts for contactless ticketing
    Indra has been awarded a US9.9 million contract by Tenerife's regional government to implement the latest public transportation management technology in its urban and inter-city services. Indra will install an operation assistance system (OAS) to manage a fleet of 530 buses on the island and an integrated contactless-ticketing solution for its buses and streetcar services. Indra's new multimode contactless-ticketing system means that the ticket has only to be passed over a reader, replacing the current magn
  • July 31, 2012
    Dubai metro - the world's longest automated rail system
    David Crawford reviews the recent opening of Dubai's Red Line. The US$7.6bn Dubai Metro, the Phase I Red Line of which started partial operation in September 2009, will be the world's longest driverless rail system on its planned completion in 2011. With a total length of some 75km, it will then overtake the 68.7km Vancouver SkyTrain and be able to carry over 1.2 million passengers on a typical day.
  • January 25, 2012
    Anywhere card delivers prepaid contactless ticketing
    David Crawford investigates a far reaching initiative in integrated travel. The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), an operator of high speed commuter rail in the north eastern US, is not one of the world's best known transit providers. Its 13 stations along a single east-west route (three of them interchanges with other regional commuter lines) handle 40,000 passengers a day, travelling to and from Philadelphia, the US' fifth most populous city.
  • September 1, 2017
    Indra project aims to develop automated vehicle occupancy identification
    Technology company Indra is leading the European R&D&i project BeCamGreen, which aims to develop a solution based on computer vision and big data, to contribute to reducing traffic, that enables the automated identification of vehicle types and their number of occupants, in real time and with precision.