GMV has come out the winner in a public tender held by Cyprus’s Ministry of Communications and Public Works for technological modernization of the 7 public-transport concessions depending on the ministry, taking in a fleet of over 800 urban and interurban buses.

The contract awarded to GMV takes in the supply, installation and integration of all necessary software and technological equipment on a turnkey basis for Cyprus’s 800-bus public-transport fleet, including an integrated fare-payment system and an advanced fleet management and passenger-information system.

Among the many advantages of the new fleet-management system feature real-time fleet dispatch and monitoring, the mining of historical service-quality information, ecodriving and real-time information given to passengers onboard the buses, at bus stop panels or by web or handheld app.

This system is rounded out by a common central back-office, diverse onboard equipment to suit vehicle type and use, plus posts of different types throughout the whole island.

All this GPS technology keeps a permanent track of all buses. The bus’s onboard computer maintains permanent communication between bus drivers and the control center, while also swapping information on such varied factors as incidents, the running timetable, personnel services, etc.

The new payment system, for its part, allows for the use of paper tickets and single-use ultralight farecards to phase out the traditional cardboard cards with barcode or magnetic band. All this adds up to a quicker, more user-friendly and securer payment system. Rechargeable MIFARE DESFire EV2 smart cards, moreover, guarantee rapid and secure payment.

Last but not least GMV will set up 30 points of sale as well as modules for electronic vending, financial control and monitoring, asset management and a fare clearing system.