Ticketing company launches pioneering passenger counting in record time

Published by

Nicky Godding

Industry leader Ticketer has launched its new, pioneering, Passenger Counting feature in record time to help drivers accurately record passengers both on and off the bus. In just under two weeks, Ticketer developed, tested and implemented a simple capacity measurement enhancement, that allows drivers keep a total count of passengers, measured against capacity thresholds defined per vehicle.

Hungerford-based Ticketer has been operating since 2009. The company has designed and developed electronic ticket machines which work in conjunction with a cloud-based back office, that is operable by every bus operator irrespective of size.

The counting is done on the Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) and removes any pressure on the driver to decide if it is safe for passengers to board.

Operators can easily set passenger capacity on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis via the Ticketer Portal and the live capacity data can be made available to operator apps to make sure that passengers also have access to the information.

Following a successful development in partnership with First Bus, rapid rollout has begun across other operators.

John Clarfelt, CEO at Ticketer is proud of what the Ticketer Team have been able to deliver at speed. “Hearing directly from drivers that our passenger counting feature is making a real difference to them is why we do this. For us, it was of paramount importance to give drivers themselves visibility of remaining capacity onboard with the ability to record passenger numbers in the most accurate, and simple way possible, to ensure everyone’s safety. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do here at Ticketer, and we will remain committed to finding new ways to support Operators through these challenging times.”

Earlier this year Ticketer received a Queen's Award for Enterprise. The company is now the UK’s most innovative smart ticketing systems supplier, with Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) on buses throughout the UK. Ticketer offers market-leading ticketing technology, combined with personalised, responsive support. Ticketer ETMs are customised for operators’ needs, driving insights, and providing valuable information to help fuel revenue. Ticketer won the award by demonstrating how its unique, ongoing, product innovation has significantly improved its own commercial performance over the last five years, whilst aiding operators across the sector to enhance their passenger proposition.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.