Have you noticed the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system or Contact less payment system at the Delhi Metro or other Metros? I am talking about the machine which we use to pay the travelling expanses by just placing card on the systems available at DMRC stations. After getting the traveller’s information, AFC opens the gate of through which passenger can pass through.
But do you know how these AFC s work? If not, today we are going to talk about their working.
Basically AFC s consist of devices to read/ write data on card, station computers, back office systems, central clearing house which work in collaboration to make the fare collection process automatic and hassle free.
The cards that we use for fare payment are plastic stripe cards like your ATM or debit card. These cards have one broad black strip on which magnetic particles or material is present. Magnetic particles are used to store data in the form of magnetized particles. So that is how cards hold the information of the user/ passenger.
One of these type of cards were launched in 1997 whose name was ‘Octopus Card’ – Hong Kong which afterwards became the standard for the AFC systems.
Let’s take a brief introduction to the system used in AFC s.
- Devices to read/ write media-These consists of ticket vending machines and fare gate (on which you place your card)
- Station computers – It’s used to provide the data communications between the devices within the stations.
- Back office – It’s the place where all the management of AFC system occurs.
- Clearing house (Central Management System) – It takes cores of all the financial management required to collect the fare, clearing the old balances etc.
So, this was the brief summary how Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) works.In the coming years, we will see the use of these systems commonly everywhere even in our buses.
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