The automated permit verification system launched in Moscow to fight COVID-19
Today most citizens observe self-isolation, but there are those who have a medical prescription and who know for sure that they should not leave the house, but at the same time continue to use public transport, exposing hundreds of thousands of Muscovites to risk of infection.
Therefore, all our measures are aimed specifically at such violators. We must not allow them breaking the rules of general safety. According to the Decree of the Mayor of Moscow, on April 22, the automated permit verification system was introduced to observe the access control regime. The Moscow Transport stopped selling single tickets, and it does not accept bank cards at turnstiles. Now travelling by public transport is possible only with Troika and Strelka smart cards or social transport cards, operating in Moscow and the Moscow region. A digital permit for travelling is to be attached to a smart card. The introduction of the automated permit verification system became possible thanks to the ultimate quality of the Moscow ticketing system. Currently it has practically no analogues in its scale and functionality. Continuously, the Moscow Metro has been implementing its digitalization strategy to manage all vital processes. For example, now the number of passengers at a station lobby is automatically determined and, depending on it, the operating mode of escalators is adjusted to accelerate the reaction time to certain situations.
The operation of the permit verification system is flexible and can be carried out automatically and remotely. The Moscow Metro has remote access to each turnstile line and each individual turnstile at any metro station and constantly monitors the system’s operation at every single station. It will help to maintain social distancing in public transport and eliminate personal factor when checking passes. In addition, the Transport Management Company inspectors control the system operation at stations to prevent crowds and explain to passengers how to correctly attach a transport smart card to a digital permit.
The Moscow Metro has the necessary number of Troika cards to ensure the transition to the automated permit verification system. About 1.7 million passengers have already updated their smart cards with a digital permit. To receive a digital permit, a passenger is directed to a dedicated website https://nedoma.mos.ru/ . Those passengers who already received a permit and updated their cards are recommended to check them at the Unified Transport Portal before a ride. For those passengers, who do not have a transport smart card, the Troika card delivery service is launched. A card is delivered through a popular Yandex delivery service.
«At the days of lockdown, we try to simplify all familiar passenger services as much as possible, including those associated with the purchase of a Troika card. Starting April 22, citizens can receive a transport smart card with an active balance. Most importantly, the price of the card will remain unchanged, there are no extra charges for delivery» — shared the press-office of the Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development of Moscow. In case of travelling by a private car, its plate number is to be attached to a digital permit, following the same simple algorithm at https://nedoma.mos.ru/. Since April 22, all photo and
video cameras automatically issue fines if a digital pass had not been registered.
Passengers were informed about the new system via all possible resources, such as 3 thousand leaflets, posters and stickers, audio messages, social networks and media-screens. The passengers’ safety is a priority, so regular disinfection is carried out. Every night, the Moscow Metro undergoes general cleaning. Every two hours, all doors are processed, and ticket machines are cleaned hourly. In accordance with the Decree of the Mayor of Moscow, traveling by public transport without a permit is prohibited, and a fine is issued for violation. Citizens over 65 years old and people with some chronic diseases are not allowed to use public transport until the end of the high alert mode, and their social transport cards, as well as social cards of schoolchildren and students, are temporarily blocked. All citizens are highly recommended to stay at home and cancel unnecessary trips to help fighting COVID-19 in Moscow and the Moscow region. All questions on the COVID-19 situation, the rules and limitations can be addressed to a dedicated hotline of the Moscow Transport.
The automated permit verification system in numbers
On April 15, 2020:
— At 6PM, 860 thousand passengers passed through turnstiles using Troika cards and
social transport cards;
— 2.5 thousand people were not able to travel, as they either did not attach their
transport cards to a digital permit, or they did not have a digital permit at all;
— Thanks to the automated permit verification system, social distance violations were
prevented, and there were no crowds at rush hours;
— Already more than 3.9 million drivers linked their car numbers to a digital permit;
— On April 22, from 00:00 to 19:00, 1.51 thousand cars moved around Moscow, and 15%
of them (230 thousand cars) had no digital permit;
— More than 2 500 photo and video recording complexes have been installed to check for
a digital permit in real time.
