CiBo with Best Price: Test run in Osnabrück
Osnabrück: Together with eos.uptrade and highQ, the Stadtwerke (public utilities) of the city of Osnabrück have set a milestone in public transport ticketing. For the first time in Germany, a Check-in/Be-out (CiBo) ticketing system with best price guarantee will be put into live operation for public transport passengers. A live test run of the project began in January 2020, which will allowed the staff of Stadtwerke Osnabrück to test the new system in a productive setting. So far, the first internal tests of the CiBo system have been successful.
Check-in/Be-out (CiBo) is an innovative, simple and fast form of ticket purchasing that enables passengers to travel for the best possible price – the system is fully automated and does not require the user to have an in-depth knowledge of fares. As a result using public transport becomes easier and passenger comfort increases. With CiBo it is no longer necessary to buy a ticket before the start of the journey. Instead, passengers simply check into the bus with a swipe in the local public transport app VOSpilot. As soon as the passengers leave the bus, they are automatically ‘checked out’. The best possible ticket price is then calculated on a weekly basis in a multi-stage process. Passengers no longer have to rack their brains whether the single, day or weekly ticket would be the best and cheapest option.
With the introduction of the CiBo system, the traditional ticket sales process is undergoing a major change. For the first time, instead of passengers purchasing a ticket before the start of their journey, they instead receive a “travel authorization”. This authorization is compliant with the German VDV-KA standard and is an electronically verifiable permit in the form of a QR code which allows them to use public transport. The actual ticket is then created afterwards when the best price has been calculated. The CiBo system is based on intelligent algorithms that are continuously optimized thanks to machine learning, thereby leading to constant improvements in quality. A mix of GPS positioning, Bluetooth beacons and motion tracking is used to ensure correct trip recognition.
Stadtwerke Osnabrück are supported by strong partners in this pioneering project. eos.uptrade, the market leader for online and mobile ticketing in German public transport, is responsible for implementing the CiBo and the mobile ticket system, while HaCon provides the local public transport app VOSpilot, including the HAFAS information system and the tariff server. Just like eos.uptrade, HaCon is a member of the Siemens Mobility family. As the main contractor of the project, the software company highQ delivers the entire customer data management system (customer data storage, CRM, EBE, credit assessment, online invoice view, etc.) and is responsible for the monthly collection of customers’ payments through SEPA Direct Debit.
About Stadtwerke Osnabrück:
The public utilities company Stadtwerke Osnabrück AG is responsible for the comprehensive supply of the city of Osnabrück. In addition to managing public transport, it also takes care of the gas, water and electricity supply in the city and operates the port as well as various public swimming pools.
About eos.uptrade:
As part of Siemens Mobility, the software company eos.uptrade provides online sales systems and ticketing solutions mainly for the public transport sector. Together with its subsidiaries HaCon, eos.uptrade and Bytemark, Siemens Mobility offers a unique portfolio of digital services and solutions. Whether it’s travel planning, passenger communication, mobile ticketing and payment, comprehensive MaaS solutions (Mobility as a Service) or fleet management, timetabling and mobility data analytics – our top priority is to provide the best possible passenger comfort!
About highQ:
Intelligent solutions and high quality in both mobility and controlling – that is what the highQ name has represented for over 20 years. The company, headquartered in Freiburg, offers its customers a broad portfolio of mobility platforms, mobility assistants, planning & scheduling, ticketing and subscription management.