NEW DELHI: The entire transport journey needs seamless coordination between multiple system and continuous improvement basis the data available on the ground. Overarching visualization, prediction and trends to improve the services on a continuous basis is possible by overcoming the siloed approach and embarking on technologies like Advance Data Analytics, AI/ML, IOT, mobility, multi-cloud environment, feels Mr. Debasish Debsikdar, AVP & SBU Head – Transportation & Logistics Division, NEC Corporation India.

Edited excerpts of exclusive Interview -

What do you think India needs to transform in the transportation sector that largely stands fragmented?

Transporting people or goods entails all processes to work cohesively. Starting with ease of booking, ease of usage to multi operator services and multimodal transport such as road, rail, inland waterways, bus, metro, ferries etc.) to providing predictable journey time, alerting and supporting in the event of incidents like breakdown, accident, weather, VIP movement etc. and finally settlement system to ensure payments to the service providers against the complete trip. The entire transport journey needs seamless coordination between multiple system and continuous improvement basis the data available on the ground. Overarching visualization, prediction and trends to improve the services on a continuous basis is possible by overcoming the siloed approach and embarking on technologies like Advance Data Analytics, AI/ML, IOT, mobility, multi-cloud environment. The burgeoning problems of traffic congestion, parking availability, ticketing etc. can very well be addressed.

The application of technology solutions can create a connected, safe, secure, seamless, convenient, reliable, and integrated public mobility, which is the fundamental backbone of a smart transportation in a smart city/country.

What have been some of NEC's achievements or contributions in aiding the growth of India’s transportation sector?

NEC brings proven solutions in seamless and touchless traveler movement by face recognition at airports (from check-in to boarding the aircraft), bus transit system, Intelligent Traffic Management system for better city road utilization/ incident management system, Intelligent Parking system to name a few. Through these solutions we are contributing in making Indian transportation sector handle larger traffic with ease and efficiently.

Our experience of working with the local city government and consultants has been very encouraging and gratifying. In the last five years, we at NEC India have successfully implemented four large BRT/city bus Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) projects, three (03) smart cities Integrated Command & Control centre (ICCC) projects and Biometric solution across four (04) airports in India for seamless traveler movement under Digi-yatra program of Airport Authority Of India.

With a great sense of pride we can say we have the maximum market share in the implementation of Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) in the BRT segment in India with many firsts like integration of NCMC open-loop payment card with our fare collection system in Ahmedabad and Surat, the launch of wholly cashless and contactless digital ticketing system in Ahmedabad, etc.

Our Vehicle Planning Scheduling and Dispatch (VPSD) system in Ahmedabad resulted in vast savings of around 50-60 lac per month for BRTS company due to much better, efficient, and data-driven planning and allocation of the fleet on available routes. Also, we have implemented three large smart city Integrated Command & Control Centre (ICCC) projects with multiple innovative elements like Intelligent Traffic Management, Solid Waste Management, Environment/Flood sensors, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD), Variable Messaging Displays (VMDs), Public Address (PA) systems, Emergency Call Boxes (ECB) and Citizen-Centric Mobile Apps, etc.

NEC’s biometric-based boarding platform deployed at select airports in India helps smoothen airport operations and enhances passenger travel experience. The platform allows passengers who opt-in the service to pass through multiple touchpoints in an airport, such as airport entry, security clearance and boarding gate, by verifying their identity through facial recognition. This eliminates the need for passengers to show identification documents and boarding pass several times throughout the journey, resulting in a hassle-free experience and a shorter curb-to-gate travel time. In addition to the delivery of biometric-based boarding platform, the solution also includes facial recognition systems, kiosk terminals and biometric-enabled e-gates.

NEC is a pioneer in ICT solutions globally. Can you impart your learnings and knowledge gained while working in India's transport industry?

The most significant learning from our various project implementations is that coordination among multiple stakeholders with different city government levels is the key to successful and timely execution. Also, getting formal approvals and sign-off from various stakeholders on time is essential.

Another critical success factor is coordinating with project management consultants (PMC) and advisors to the city government. They play a crucial role in giving the city government proper guidance for the multi-vendor integration ecosystem.

Can you name some of NEC's products and solutions offered under the transport segment in Indian? Also, elaborate on your USPs

NEC's biggest unique selling proposition is that we work as Master System Integrators to provide end-to-end solutions to public transport operators. We own the Internet Protocol (IP) of most of these core components, resulting in much better control on implementation, integration, and execution of the projects. With substantial hands-on experience of successfully implementing many large and complex bus projects (in India and abroad) with large bus operators, NEC brings excellent value to ensure that both public transport operators and commuters can take advantage of all these systems. Additionally, NEC brings in the vast pool of verified, proven, and certified hardware vendor ecosystems to ensure seamless and quick integration of all these devices with various Intelligent Transit /Traffic Management System (ITMS) components to provide an integrated solution to our customers.

Automated Vehicle Location System (AVLS), Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), Passenger Information System (PIS), Vehicle Planning, Scheduling & Dispatch System (VPSD), Depot Management System (DMS), Incident Management System (IMS), Mobile App & Web Portal for both operators and commuters, Business Intelligence (BI) Dashboards, Mobility As A Service (MaaS) platform on Mobile, etc. are some of the critical solutions offered by NEC. 

Do you think public transport is a better eco-friendly solution for India?

As per studies, Bengaluru & Manila's congestion rates (71%) make them the most congested cities globally, followed by Bogota and Mumbai. According to the recent annual IQAir World Air Quality Report, 2020, India is home to 22 out of the 30 most polluted cities in the world

With the ever-growing urban population and pollution in India, an increased number of private vehicles on the streets are becoming a menace.

One of the most significant ways to keep the situation under control is to have an efficient public transit system. We at NEC are optimistic that good mobility and transportation solutions are the key factors to encourage people to choose public transport (with appropriate measures in the current scenario) and reduce traffic on streets. Even as the pandemic rages through the country, the commoner is still heavily relying on the public transport system, and the existing systems must be made more intelligent and more efficient.