The government-owned public transportation company in Oman, Oman National Transport Company S.A.O.C (MWASALAT), is launching at the end of the year an intelligent transportation system (ITS) for the public transport network.
The project will cover ICT-based systems for transportation, including an Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) and Automated Vehicle Location System (AVLS).
Japan's NEC Corporation, which was awarded the contract for the project, said AFCS features include contactless electronic payments available through a mobile application to enable cashless, accurate and reliable fare collection.
The AVLS software uses GPS to share real-time service updates with the bus control center. This would maintain bus assets, operations, safety, and customer satisfaction. The information will also be relayed to a smart passenger information mobile application, according to NEC.
These systems will be installed on approximately 200 buses to enhance the public transport services that provide advantages for over 20,000 passengers each day.
"Our ITS project will lead efforts for developing a smarter and more efficient bus transportation system in countries throughout the Middle East," Ahmed Ali Al Bulushi, CEO, MWASALAT in a news release.
