Bilhete Único
Encyclopedia
Bilhete Único is the name of the São Paulo transportation
contactless smart card
system for fare control.
Using Philips
Mifare
technology, the solution is managed by SPTrans (São Paulo Transporte S/A), the city bus transportation authority, which is controlled by municipal government. On May 18, 2004, when Marta Suplicy
was the mayor, it began to be accepted in buses to allow for up to four rides in two hours by paying a single fare. Since 2006 it can also be used in the local rapid transit
system (São Paulo Metro
) and suburban railways operated by CPTM
.
´s solution
and provider, but the project was aborted mostly due software problems with the complex Vale-Transporte regulation.
Around 2001/2002 the project was restarted by SPTrans, which decided to be the Solution Integrator and Sponsor, and chose to have at least 2 solution providers for every supply, and not to depend on a sole provider like most other cities do.
The solution was a major gain solving the recharge problem: all cards are pre-paid, and recharge cannot be done onboard. Other Brazilian cities failed on create and spread a large recharge network. Due to "win-win" agreements with Electronic Benefits Cards networks and with the National Lottery network, São Paulo has over 6000 recharge points around the city (January 2010).
The main responsibles for these solutions were:
The "brains and arms" providers to SPTrans were:
The TI services providers were:
The cards providers are:
The providers on "debit network", are:
The providers on "public credit network", are:
There are also 40 points of recharge on Metro stations and bus terminals.
The providers of "private credit network" or "Rede Complementary", are authorized to provide recharge smartcards are:
The customers of "private credit network", authorized to resell "Vale Transporte" are:
Other software and hardware solutions providers are:
portals and back-office.
or the train costs R$ 2.65 each. An integration between the systems allow for up to three bus rides and either a rapid transit
or train ride in a three hour period for R$ 4.29, provided that the user boards the rapid transit
or train in the first two hours. Students and teachers pay half price, while persons with disabilities and seniors have free access.
Transport in São Paulo
Urban transportation in São Paulo consists of a complex system with many subsystems. On a daily basis, people from the various municipalities and the metropolitan area of São Paulo travel into the city, so there are transportation needs on a regional and municipal scale...
contactless smart card
Contactless smart card
A contactless smart card is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits that can process and store data, and communicate with a terminal via radio waves. There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps...
system for fare control.
Using Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Mifare
MIFARE
MIFARE is the NXP Semiconductors-owned trademark of a series of chips widely used in contactless smart cards and proximity cards. According to the producers, billions of smart card chips and many millions of reader modules have been sold...
technology, the solution is managed by SPTrans (São Paulo Transporte S/A), the city bus transportation authority, which is controlled by municipal government. On May 18, 2004, when Marta Suplicy
Marta Suplicy
Marta Teresa Smith de Vasconcelos Suplicy is a Brazilian politician and psychologist. She was Mayor of São Paulo from 2001 to 2004 as a member of the Brazilian Workers' Party...
was the mayor, it began to be accepted in buses to allow for up to four rides in two hours by paying a single fare. Since 2006 it can also be used in the local rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system (São Paulo Metro
São Paulo Metro
The São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
) and suburban railways operated by CPTM
Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos
Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos is a commuter rail company owned by the São Paulo State Secretariat for Metropolitan Transports. It was created in 1992 from several railroads that already existed in Greater São Paulo, Brazil....
.
History
The original technological solution (in about 1997) was based on SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
´s solution
Upass (South Korea)
Upass is a pre-paid card for the transportation system in Seoul and its suburbs. This card is issued by Seoul Metropolitan Bus Operator Association and eB Card. Its parent-generation card is Seoul Transportation Card, a world-first commercial-used RF card for transportation...
and provider, but the project was aborted mostly due software problems with the complex Vale-Transporte regulation.
Around 2001/2002 the project was restarted by SPTrans, which decided to be the Solution Integrator and Sponsor, and chose to have at least 2 solution providers for every supply, and not to depend on a sole provider like most other cities do.
Providers
The SPTrans Projeto de Bilhetagem Eletrônica, which resulted in the Bilhete Único, has at least 30 different solution and service providers directly involved to reach the goal.The solution was a major gain solving the recharge problem: all cards are pre-paid, and recharge cannot be done onboard. Other Brazilian cities failed on create and spread a large recharge network. Due to "win-win" agreements with Electronic Benefits Cards networks and with the National Lottery network, São Paulo has over 6000 recharge points around the city (January 2010).
The main responsibles for these solutions were:
- SMT*Secretaria Municipal de Transportes of PMSP*Prefeitura Municipal de São Paulo that sponsored the project.
- SPTrans that coordinated all project.
The "brains and arms" providers to SPTrans were:
- Digicon, that made most of the smartcard technical definitions, and reference implementations of hardware and software (validators, HSMs, POS and clearing house)
- TTC/Engenharia that helped on major business definitions and public licitations.
- Atech*Tecnologias Críticas that made the deployment coordination and quality assurance.
The TI services providers were:
- Cobra Tecnologia that was the contracted Network and Datacenter Provider
- Diveo that hosts the solution, manage the communications network and operates the Network Operations CenterNetwork Operations CenterA network operations center is one or more locations from which control is exercised over a computer, television broadcast, or telecommunications network....
.
The cards providers are:
- PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, that provides the MifareMIFAREMIFARE is the NXP Semiconductors-owned trademark of a series of chips widely used in contactless smart cards and proximity cards. According to the producers, billions of smart card chips and many millions of reader modules have been sold...
4k chip. - Sonsun, that provides the plastic cards and inlay of about 80% of user cards.
- Gemplus, that provides the other cards.
The providers on "debit network", are:
- APB-Prodata, that automated around 75% of buses and garages.
- Digicon, that automated the other ones.
- MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Consulting Services, responsible by the EDIElectronic Data InterchangeElectronic data interchange is the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means. It is used to transfer electronic documents or business data from one computer system to another computer system, i.e...
software solution used on garages.
The providers on "public credit network", are:
- Caixa Econômica FederalCaixa Econômica FederalCaixa Econômica Federal , also referred to as Caixa or CEF, is a Brazilian bank. It is the largest government-owned financial institution in Latin America. It is the largest bank in Brazil and in Latin America by assets....
, that provides the "public capture and reseller network", using 700+ of his national lottery point-of-sales in the city. - Digicon, that made the POS device, HSMs and security infra-structure.
- S & V Consultoria, that made the "Cartão do Estudante" and "Loja Virtual" web
There are also 40 points of recharge on Metro stations and bus terminals.
The providers of "private credit network" or "Rede Complementary", are authorized to provide recharge smartcards are:
- SmartNet, that provides a private capture network for many voucher and benefits vendors,
- Rede Ponto-Certo, that provides a private capture network to VB Serviços.
- and 2 other minor capture networks.
The customers of "private credit network", authorized to resell "Vale Transporte" are:
- VB-Serviços
- Ticket Restaurante
- Vale Refeição
- Sodexho
- Benefício Fácil
- and 15+ other minor vendors.
Other software and hardware solutions providers are:
portals and back-office.
- MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
desktops on all parts. Windows servers, BiztalkMicrosoft BizTalk ServerMicrosoft BizTalk Server, often referred to as simply "BizTalk", is an Enterprise Service Bus. Through the use of "adapters" which are tailored to communicate with different software systems used in an enterprise, it enables companies to automate business processes...
and MS-SQLMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL Server is a relational database server, developed by Microsoft: It is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network...
on EDI from garages. - OracleOracle CorporationOracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
, that provides the central SQL database and Dataware House. - IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, that provides RISC servers and AIX on central processors.
Fares and regulations
As of January 5, 2010, regular Bilhete Único users pay R$ 3.00 for up to four bus rides in a three hour period. Boarding the rapid transitSão Paulo Metro
The São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
or the train costs R$ 2.65 each. An integration between the systems allow for up to three bus rides and either a rapid transit
São Paulo Metro
The São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
or train ride in a three hour period for R$ 4.29, provided that the user boards the rapid transit
São Paulo Metro
The São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
or train in the first two hours. Students and teachers pay half price, while persons with disabilities and seniors have free access.