Cashless Fare Payment Via “Oyster” Smart Card Speeds Passenger Boarding

BIRMINGHAM, U.K., (BUSINESS WIRE), Sept. 23, 2003–Cubic Transportation Systems Limited, the UK European Headquarters and a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corp. (AMEX:CUB), today announced it has received an order from the London Buses division of Transport for London to supply 600 Universal Smart Card Validators for its expanding fleet of articulated or “bendy” buses.

The Validators will process the new Oyster card that was launched for public use in May. Cubic and EDS (Electronic Data Systems) lead the TranSys consortium that developed London’s new smart card-based ticketing system.

Cubic announced the new order on the opening day of the Coach & Bus Show 2003 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, U.K., where Cubic is showcasing its complete system of automatic fare collection technologies for buses.

The Universal Validator incorporates Cubic’s advanced smart card technology and passenger safety features to quickly verify and deduct fares from passenger smart cards, resulting in faster boarding times. The Validator operates on Cubic’s open architecture and utilizes its patented Tri-Reader®, an integral module in Cubic-developed fare collection equipment for all transportation modes. The Tri-Reader can read any type of contactless smart card meeting international standards, providing operators a truly open system with flexibility, interoperability and a range of media choices.

The articulated bus design–which consists of two vehicle sections connected by an accordion-like joint to facilitate turning–offers greater seating capacity and more entries for boarding. Cubic will install two Validators in the middle and rear entrances of the buses to supplement the validation unit already installed at the front of the bus, thus speeding passenger boarding.

The UK Ministry of Transport has approved the articulated bus type and the proposed positioning of the new Validators. The Ministry must separately approve any equipment that interfaces into walkways on other bus chassis types.

The Cubic display area at Coach and Bus 2003 (in Hall 17, Stand 17.99) includes the following products that have been developed to meet UK and European requirements:

• Mobile Ticketing Machine: Considered the heart of an integrated Vehicle Management System, the Mobile Ticketing Machine combines the Cubic Driver Control Unit and Passenger Interface Module to deliver fare and vehicle management in a single device. The Driver Control Unit acts as the single driver log-on and interface for operation of all on-vehicle equipment including fareboxes, smart card validators, magnetic processors, printers, passenger signage, automatic passenger counters, and automatic vehicle location and dispatch system. When combined with the Passenger Interface Module, transit operators can support a variety of fare media including paper proof-of-payment, magnetic, or contactless smart card, offering them the maximum flexibility for future growth.

• Light Validator: The contactless smart card-processing Light Validator is a worry-free, low-cost addition to any automatic fare collection system. It features a small, ultra-compact design that simplifies installation and maintenance while ensuring high reliability and ease of use.

• Universal Validator: This Validator, the same as is being fitted to London’s Articulated Buses, will be linked to a simulation of a journey showing live ticket on departure capability and tracking of ticket use via the web services package of Nextfare™

• Nextfare™ Central System: Cubic has designed a central system that facilitates low risk, cost-managed growth in system capability. Nextfare is a suite of advanced software modules that provide four mission-critical capabilities: 1) central computing, 2) management of advanced fare structures, 3) clearing and settlement, and 4) innovative valued-added capabilities such as Web Services, Autoload and Ticket On Departure. Cubic’s Nextfare Web Services technology allows riders to load their smart cards with value anytime from the convenience of their desktop computers, laptops, phones or handheld devices. The Ticket On Departure feature then distributes the purchases by electronically delivering the value to the smart card the next time the customer presents his or her card to a reader at the ticket vending machine, gate or bus Validator. Autoload technology lets transit users link their smart cards to their credit cards for automatic reload of transit value into the system once a pre-determined threshold is reached.

• Handheld Solutions: Cubic’s Handheld Ticketing Machine and Handheld Checker are two smart card verification/inspection devices that deliver the flexibility of a portable computer. The Handheld Ticketing Machine performs two functions: issuing paper tickets and validating and updating passenger smart cards. Wireless communications enable an optional belt printer to communicate with the Handheld Ticketing Machine. The Handheld Checker reads smart cards to check for validity. Both handheld devices are integrated with Cubic’s Tri-Reader technology to facilitate flexibility in smart card choices for transit operators.

Cubic Transportation Systems is the world’s leading system provider for regional multi-operator intermodal ticketing systems. Every year, nearly 10 billion rides are taken worldwide using Cubic fare collection systems in more than 40 major markets on five continents, including London; New York; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Sydney; Sweden, Norway, and Denmark; Rotterdam; Chicago; Atlanta; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Miami; Hong Kong; Guangzhou; Shanghai; and Singapore. For more information about Cubic, see the company’ web site at http://www.cubic.com.

Contact

Cubic Corp., San Diego
Jae Lande, 858-505-2642
jae.lande@cubic.com