Towards Frictionless Public Transit: A Brief Review of Automatic Fare Collection

As urbanization expands globally, efficient public transportation becomes crucial for reducing traffic, emissions, and commuting times. Current fare collection systems hinder these goals due to longer boarding times and un-optimized routes. Recent attempts to solve this come in the form of novel Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) systems that predict user routes mainly using transactional data collected from their trip. These systems attempt to eliminate the need for physical payments, and offer benefits like reduced boarding times and improved route optimization. However, due to additional hardware they face challenges such as increased costs and infrastructure complexity. This paper reviews various fare collection systems, highlighting the shift from traditional Check In Be Out (CIBO) systems to innovative Check In Check Out (CICO) systems to emerging Be In Be Out (BIBO) models that leverage modern sensor and mobile technologies. Additionally, the effectiveness of a software-based approach to BIBO AFC is demonstrated, which could replace or complement the existing hardware-based systems. The challenges and advancements in fare and data collection methods are discussed, offering insights into future trends that could lead to more sustainable urban living and efficient public transit systems.