Selection Approach for Bus IC Cards

   The urban public transport IC card payment system covers a wide range, with many service providers and a large user base. Once implemented, it will be difficult to transform or cancel, making selection crucial. Given the harsh environment, high mobility, and the fact that stored-value tickets are securities, the fare inspection equipment and stored-value tickets are required to have high reliability and safety; Helping passengers quickly learn to use the system and adapt quickly—timing and convenience are also important indicators. Shortening the ticket verification process and reducing stop times means faster turnover and increased capacity. This article will introduce the card situation and the selection approach for bus IC cards in installments.

1. Contact type andContactless IC cards
 
　　 IC cards are divided into two main categories: contactless and contactless. Their reliability and security are better than magnetic cards, but they are relatively expensive. In China's public transport industry, four companies from Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Wuhan have piloted contactless IC cards on a small scale.
 
　　 Contact IC cardsIt involves packaging an IC chip in a standard PVC card, using direct contact between the exposed chip and the reader card slot to read and write data.
 
　　 1. The contact plate of contact-type IC cards is exposed on the surface of the IC card, and in certain situations (such as bending or damage), the card may be damaged or may experience read/write errors.
　　 2. The reader's card holder may be damaged or not functioning properly due to dust, rough insertion, or foreign objects insertion, requiring frequent maintenance.
　　 3. Because the card and booth are oriented together, ticket verification time is short and fast during bus operation. The narrow booth makes it difficult to insert the IC card. This is especially difficult when the user is elderly, children, or illiterate.
　　 4. Although contact IC types have certain confidentiality measures, the suitability of readers reduces the security of IC cards.
　　 5. Even when contactless IC cards are used normally, their transaction time is long, which extends passenger travel time and vehicle turnover, requiring companies to invest more transport capacity and increasing operating costs. Therefore, contact-based IC card systems struggle to meet the needs of bus operators and passengers. But why is Zhuhai usable? After investigation, it was found that this is closely related to Zhuhai's unique characteristics. Zhuhai is a garden city, characterized mainly by low dust, small population, few elderly people, and a high level of workforce. Because of these advantages, readers are used less frequently, booths rarely accumulate dust, and there are no issues with elderly or illiterate users, so they can last for a certain period. But if you rigidly copy the idea that Zhuhai is the best option and other cities are fine too, without analyzing your own city's situation, it's easy to hit a wall.

　　 A contactless IC card consists of an IC chip and an antenna, and is completely sealed within a standard PVC card, making it less susceptible to external adverse factors. Contactless IC cards and readers are read and written via radio waves. Large storage capacity, fast transfer speed, long read/write lifespan, and the following excellent features:

　　 1. Non-mechanical contact between contactless IC cards and readers.
　　 2. No exposed components on the surface, so IC cards will not be damaged by dirt or bending. The card itself is a passive component, small in size, durable, and reliable.
　　 3. The reader does not require a card stand and can be fully placed inside the box.
　　 4. It has no directionality during use; the card can sweep across the reader's surface from any direction to complete the reading and writing tasks.
　　 5. Wireless communication between the reader and the IC card.
　　 6. The reader and IC card implement two-way password authentication and use a three-level DES algorithm for verification. The reader recognizes the legitimacy of the IC card; the IC card can recognize the reader and also grant the reader's read and write permissions.
　　 7. There are strict rules for issuing contactless IC cards. It adopts the internationally recognized Mifare standard, and its card number is unique in the world. Second, part of the password is stored in the onboard unit and part on the card, ensuring a high level of system confidentiality.