Skip to main content

Indra technology to manage Medellín’s traffic and public transportation

Spain-headquartered Indra has become the technological leader for Medellín's traffic and transportation systems after being awarded two contracts valued at just over US$11 million. The first contract, awarded by the Medellín Subway, will allow the city to have an intermodal public transportation system that is unique in Colombia and will facilitate the management and the combined use of the subway and buses.
August 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Spain-headquartered 509 Indra has become the technological leader for Medellín's traffic and transportation systems after being awarded two contracts valued at just over US$11 million.

The first contract, awarded by the Medellín Subway, will allow the city to have an intermodal public transportation system that is unique in Colombia and will facilitate the management and the combined use of the subway and buses. For the project, Indra is implementing an Operations Assistance System for Metroplús, the city's BRT (bus rapid transit) fleet, which will be integrated with the company’s Da Vinci system that has been managing subway train traffic since 2008.

The objective is to integrate train operations with the bus system so that vehicles are handled in a unified manner, with a special emphasis on interconnection stations or links between lines. The solution includes a passenger counting system that is based on closed-circuit television (CCTV) and registers the number of passengers boarding and exiting each bus, making it possible to know the bus' occupancy in order to prevent exceeding its maximum capacity, to request back-up vehicles during demand peaks and to prepare mobility studies for this mode of transportation.

Indra is also implementing the technology for 21 Metroplús stations, consisting of an interior passenger information system that uses loudspeakers and TFT screens, as well as the access control systems that use turnstiles and validators, based on the Open Civica software developed by the company. In addition, a pilot is being carried out with 13 machines for recharging Civica smart cards, the payment method for the subway and Metroplús.

Indra has also been awarded a contract with UNE Epm Telecommunicaciones and XM (ISA subsidiary), the companies that manage transit in the city of Medellín and which are the technological partners for implementing a new integrated traffic control and intelligent traffic system for Medellín.

The solution, based on Indra's Hermes system, will make it possible to continuously track traffic and to monitor the various control subsystems in real time. Collecting current and past data will also make it easier to analyse and consolidate information for making decisions related to mobility. This way, it will be possible to increase safety, optimise the flow of vehicles, shorten circulation times and reduce costs and the environmental impact.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Car parking and parked cars need not be a technological black hole
    March 19, 2015
    David Crawford mines the potential of joined-up parking. Drivers conventionally see parking as an isolated, often frustrating, action; but collectively their attempts to find a space impact hugely on traffic flows. But new analyses of parking events look set to deliver real benefits to motorists and cities alike. Initiatives getting under way around the world are highlighting the advantages of connecting up parking events and – eventually - parked cars. The hoped-for results include not only enhanced urban
  • Bus location system delivers real-time passenger information
    November 28, 2012
    VeriFone Systems has installed its open-architecture vehicle tracking TransitPAY system on more than 1,000 buses serving the Bronx, following the award of a US$8.5 million contract by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York. The Bronx contract award follows a similar contract in 2011 for the Staten Island fleet component of the MTA Bus Time system, which uses VeriFone on-board systems to generate location data that is communicated wirelessly to the Bus Time server that passengers can acc
  • Stagecoach invests in AVL and fleet management
    July 8, 2013
    UK bus operator Stagecoach Group is to invest in a nationwide automatic vehicle location and real time fleet management system for its 7,000 strong regional bus fleet. The company has awarded transit and mobility solutions provider Vix Technology the contract to supply and provide on-going support of the system, which will be used to track vehicle location, monitoring and reporting progress in real time. It will provide this information to back office systems for use on bus stop displays, mobile apps and th
  • Intelligent parking guidance relieves congestion, reduces costs
    July 24, 2012
    O R Tambo International Airport, near the city of Johannesburg, is the largest airport in Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and is one of 10 airports operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). This airport places a massive demand on road infrastructure and parking facilities since a majority of travellers get to the airport by motor vehicle. The demand for parking left many people searching for a parking space for eight minutes or more