More freedom to set fares, better stability and openness to contactless bank cards: these were the main requirements of South African operator Buscor, which has just selected ACS and its Atlas central system to replace its existing contactless ticketing system. Based in Nelspruit, near the famous Kruger National Park, Buscor manages 400 articulated interurban buses operating within a 150 km radius. In March 2011, ACS will start installing MDS 415 vending machines at all its stations and PCE 415 consoles for selling and validating paper tickets on board. Atlas’ data extraction functions will notably enable Buscor to keep close track of the amounts cashed by drivers in real time. The ACS central system – being rolled out in Africa for the first time – will also be interfaced with a kilometric metering module, used by the authorities to calculate subsidies.

The news was confirmed on 1 June: the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) has appointed ACS to deploy a contactless ticketing system on its 1100 urban and regional buses and on its LRT (Light Rail Transit) bus network. Supplied by ACS, all the equipment – validators and control terminals – will be managed by an Atlas central system. This development, long-heralded by the operator, also gives it the means of accurately tracking subscriber data, which is essential for the "ECO-Pass" program that it offers to local employers. The solution, which replaces the previous magnetic ticketing system, will be completed with paper tickets for occasional passengers. After a pilot phase aimed at rolling out the solution on 300 buses in May 2011, the new system is set to be extended to the entire fleet by the end of next year.

At the start of 2011, customers of the Ouatouais regional transport company, STO, will discover the benefits of multi-contract contactless cards and on-line reloading. With this aim in mind, the Gatineau operator has just appointed ACS to upgrade its contactless ticketing equipment, by deploying VPE 415 validators and CPE 020 consoles on all of its 300 buses as well as installing MDS 415 point-of-sale terminals at its four ticket offices and 70 retail outlets. This upgrade will make it possible to roll out a contactless card of the DESFire type throughout the entire network. In addition to storing several contracts simultaneously and offering web services, this card will pave the way for interoperability with the operator in neighbouring Ottawa. As far back as 1997, STO became the first operator in North America to go contactless, with none other than ACS (see e-lettre no. 4).