IRELAND: Iarnród Éireann has worked with technology companies Famoco and Theta to increase the level of digitalisation in its revenue protection process.
Famoco has provided its FX205 ticketing validators for use by IÉ’s Revenue Protection Officers; this is able to handle the various formats of ticket media used by transport operators, including printed barcodes, in-app QR codes and conventional NFC smartcards.
Theta has developed a bespoke application for the devices, enabling the officers to issue fixed penalty notices for fare evasion. Each RPO has been given a small Bluetooth printer to issue and print the FPN receipts quickly and securely on the spot. The notices are also synchronised in real time to IÉ’s back-office ticketing and revenue management platform, which is supplied by Dovetail. Synchronisation can still occur if the ticket validator is not connected to a 3G/4G or wi-fi network thanks to an intelligent queue management function integrated with Dovetail’s backend interface.
IÉ’s objective has been to create a better working environment for its revenue protection staff, giving them the opportunity to validate tickets much faster and more securely. Elimination of manually written penalty notices has also eased the workload for back office staff. The railway expects the number of digitalised FPNs issued to grow over the course of the next year, helping to limit the loss of fare revenue as it seeks to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
