CASE STUDY- "Testing flexible fare systems with the help of e-ticketing"- Oradea Local Transport Company

Project SEE/B/0004/3.1/X "ATTRACTIVE URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR ACCESSIBLE CITIES" (acronym: ATTAC) financed through THE SOUTH EAST EUROPE TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME CASE STUDY- "Testing flexible fare systems with the help of e-ticketing"- Oradea Local Transport Company 1

Work Package 4: Testing the feasibility of urban public/collective transport solutions 1. Introduction 1.1. Pilot implementations will be integrated activities of TFs. The feasibility of urban public/collective transp. solutions defined for the 3 themes will be tested as pilots or pilot studies. This testing is crucial as it serves the purpose of examining the applicability of ideas in various local environments, whereby giving credence to joint efforts to find solutions to local challenges. The definition of pilots builds on the joint pilot generation process carried out during the project preparation phase. The fine tuning and preparation of pilots and pilot studies will be helped by the BP surveys, which will give a detailed picture on the existing tools & methods. The first MobiLABs described in act.4.1 will help the preparation, and the MobiLAB process described in 4.1. will ensure joint design, monitoring and evaluation of pilots. 1.2. The following demonstration pilots/studies will be carried out: A. TF1 (flexible transp.solutions): MiskolcH: Testing an IT solution for the planning of DRT service for the City of Miskolc and its agglomeration; amo: Introduction of new collective transp. service for Modena industrial areas; Burgas: will contribute to the Miskolc pilot as observer, working on the transferability of the solution B. TF2 (innovative/integrated ticketing): Marche: pilot study on organisational background of fare & modal integration in regions/agglomerations; OTLRA: Testing flexible fare systems with the help of e-ticketing; THEPTA:Investigation of integrated ticketing and smart card fare collection systems, with a special view to passenger behaviour & financial implications C. TF 3 (improving passenger information): UMaribor: Pilot study and testing of RTI for passengers in Maribor; Kosice: Testing bus-stop RTI solutions in Kosice 1.3. Role of each partner Each ERDF PP will prepare and implement its own pilot test/study, and will elaborate the case study. Burgas will play an observing/consultative role in the MiskolcH pilot, and will draft a sustainability/tranferability plan. CEI will be knowledge provider for each TF, and will closely follow and advise TF2 pilots. ASPs will participate in pilot design/evaluation through MobiLAB and Mobility Forums. Towards the end of the pilot implementation phase each PP will draft a case study on the pilot/study implemented. Case studies will include the findings of the on-the-spot MobiLAB (LAB report) and will also include a plan for future full scale implementation. 1.4. Role of OTLRA Oradea Transport Local SA prepared in 2013 the extension of local public transport services into Metropolitan Area to insure a strong connection of people from neighbourhood of Municipality of Oradea. The commuters, who daily acces the opportunities offered by the city (schools, universities, a lot of working possibilities, cultural and commercial needs,...) are an important category of passenger. ATTAC help to elaborate a version of software for the existing e-ticketing system in Oradea to be able for an extension in Metropolitan area. It was an analysis of solving modalities, the results was implemented into the software of municipal system. The ticket sale, the execution of transport, included traffic management and the e-ticketing system (validation), control of tickets, the whole PT system was proposed to be modernise. Before the ticket fare system was a very complicated and various price. It was 17 different price of tickets only for Bors s and Sanmartin s localities. After renewal of fare system in parallel of introducing electronic ticketing system in Metropolitan area, we 2

modified and simplified the ticket fares. It was introduced the combined monthly ticket for metropolitan connection valid for trip to Oradea and inside the city for all lines of OTL. 2. ORADEA TRANSPORT LOCAL SA: inventory, conditions 2.1. Preliminaries: 2011 Partnership in the EU project ATTAC with Miskolc (HU), Graz (A), Maribor (SLO), Thessaloniki (GR), Burgas (BG), Marche (I) extension of E-ticketing in Metropolitan Area and SUMP of Oradea 2012 - OTL SA start the project of SUMP, Oradea been one of most significant cities from Romania, who try to find his right status and position, first in some important decision (first municipality who bought new trams, it s between the initiators who established metropolitan area, recognized the importance of public service strategies, vision of those developments, ) 2013 Romanian government ordered the requirement of SUMP elaboration for any city with more than 100.000 inhabitants (H.G. 193/2013)! For success: ordinary inhabitants of Oradea and authorized representatives of the city must be able to understand the social and economic changes must be correlated with changes in personal attitude surrounding urban realities... Attention: understanding change credentials is not sufficient, because THE PRINCIPLES ARE ONLY WORDS, THE ACTION COUNTS!!! Where is Oradea? Benchmarking between cities in Romania: Fig.1. Sustenability ierarchy of municipalities in Romania Local public transport is one of the main evaluation criteria, with significant share in the achievement of sustainability indicators (by number of inhabitants, with 204.000 people, Oradea have only the 11-th position!) 2.2. SUMP objectives : SUMP for Oradea is seen by few people in town initiative as a framework for an integrated transport system, regarding the following issues: 3

TRAFFIC: significant reduction of congestion that occurs on the main thoroughfares of the city and indeed even in moments of utmost importance for dowry for the citizens involved in the active life of the community; CITIZEN RIGHTS: reducing the negative impact of traffic (city perimeter and access roads from villages belonging to) the health, safety and security of citizens; ACCESIBILITY: providing the public transport system for all citizens, a corresponding spatial accessibility; POLLUTION: reduce air pollution and noise pollution; PT NETWORK: reduction of energy consumption of transport field by optimizing the local transport network; EFFICIENCY: improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of passenger transport, taking into account external construction purposes; LIFE QUALITY: increasing the attractiveness and quality of the urban and suburban environment. 2.3. Short inventory of Oradea PT system : Servicing done at the present time highlights the heterogeneity of service: we distinguish 5 tram lines (red) and 17 bus lines (black). Daily average of passenger is higher than 173.000 pass/day! The trams transport more than 75% of number of passenger, the buses are mostly used in the peripheral areas. From those bus lines only 3-4 bus lines, whose justify urban passenger transport in terms of return (economical efficiency) there is however a several number of bus lines that perform social services, but some lines have exceeded the boundaries of the social service category solitary passed (less than 4-5 passengers per/bus or less then 10 per/hour of operation) indoor coverage is revealed - with gaps in some areas not well served (can say under necessities!) presents opportunities for market expansion of transport up to the city limits and metropolitan area Fig.2. Coverage of PT in city of Oradea (red=tram & black=bus lines) : 4

Fig.3. PT network map in Oradea 2.4. Extension of PT services Oradea Metropolitan Area: One of the biggest challenge in last 10 years was to reconquer the public transport (PT) services in the neighbourhood of Oradea. Until 2002 OTL was the once operator, after tendering OTL was fired out, the market was cutted between privat operators. The municipality and the localities authorities decide to give a direct contract for their own local operator. Integration was the motto, you can see in figure 4 a map of stations,orange OTL and red for other operators in the metropolitan area. Fig.4 Map of PT station distribution in Oradea Metropolitan Area 5

2.5. Statistics of population in Oradea Table 1. Name and number of Districts in Oradea 1 Episcopia Bihor 2 Oncea 3 Nicolae Iorga 4 Gheorghe Doja 5 Podgoria 6 Mihai Eminescu 7 Dragos Voda 8 Tokai 9 Zona Industriala Est 10 Nufarul 11 Seleus 12 Dimitrie Cantemir 13 Velenta 14 Zona Industriala Vest 15 Rogerius 16 Decebal Dacia 2.6. Map of districts in Oradea 17 Splaiul Crisanei 18 Olosig 19 Subcetate 20 Iosia Nord 21 Calea Santandrei 22 Iosia Sud 23 Iosia 24 Calea Aradului 25 Europa 26 Universitatii 27 Orasu Nou 28 Dorobantilor 29 Salca 30 Grigorescu Fig.4. Density of population (inhabitants / 10 ha) Two high density poles: N-W = 15,16,20 & 23 S-E = 7,13 & 12 connection corridor between them = 17, 27 & 2 >1000 500 1000 100 500 50 100 < 50 6

2.7. Density of PT stations: Fig.5. Map of PT station distribution (station/ 100ha) > 15 10 15 5 10 1 5 < 1 Similar structure with the density of population: N-W = 15,16 & 20 S-E = 7,13 & 12 connection = 17, 27 & 19 2.8. Density of street network: Legend street km/100ha Fig.6. Map of street density distribution in Oradea > 5 3 5 1 3 0,3 1 < 0,3 Again the two poles: N-W = 17 & 20, S-E = 7,13,12 & 13 connection = 27 & 28 7

2.9. Malfunctions health centers: Fig.7. Distribution for Hospitals (Health Centers) in Oradea A very high concentration of hospitals in the downtown of Oradea, it s not a uniform distribution! 2.10. Malfunctions agro markets: Fig.8. Distribution for Agro Markets in Oradea The same problem: not a uniform distribution of agro markets in Oradea! 2.11. First evaluation: city inadequacy Find some examples to support "inadequacy city" to the needs of sustainable development (and especially mobility) a.) It can be seen for few utilities need are partly dysfunctional = an uneven distribution in the municipality? Result: an artificial contribution to traffic congestion? b.) Term inadequacy of the city not surprising: the historical development of the city at the present time does not allow every time and everywhere an efficient and optimized public transport? Conclusion: graphic-analytical level urban transport has taken " inputs " provided by existing limited infrastructure and the demographics of the city and answered correctly whenever the number of inhabitants was higher! But if the number of inhabitants is lower, urban transport requirements traveling public does not respond properly - because in some objective, partly subjective ( 0.3 km per square km is translates into an average distance walk 8

up to find a transportation route of about 800 m - but there are locations in the municipality for which the distance is almost 4000 m!!! ) City inadequacy and burning issues The flexible Public Transport exploitation of OTL depends of existing infrastructure and it's possibility to adapt new lines and stations, but also exist a legal resistance of authorities and an inertia of part of passengers. Exist also a blocking of the other operators... Not all operators has working license, they are a representative part of a kind of black market, it is not every and all time a loyal concurrency 2.12. OTL has the following needs for the near future: 1: Extension and commissioning of a roundabout routes to congested Magheru Blvd (expected until end of 2015!), possibility to introducing light rail on this road 2: Ensure the 3 degrees of freedom at the intersection triangle streets "Aradului Decebal - Primariei, possibility to reorganize tram lines ( expected 2016 ) 3: Extension of lines of tramways to the University Center, South Shopping Area or Eurobusiness Industrial Park, depot building West Area ( we hope all in 10 years ) 4: Reserve Tram line from depot Salca to University ( chance for next 5 years ) 5: Regulation of an integrated transport modalities in Metropolitan Area, intermodal connection of intercity and local transports. 6: Implementation of e-ticketing system in Oradea (started in January 2013) and extension in the Metropolitan Area (from January 2014) 2.13. About mobility of population: Table 2. Calculation of population mobility 2.14. Appreciations about mobility index in Oradea: Oradea it s with his 200.000 inhabitants it s considered a small city, Cluj it s a medium with almost 300.000 and Bucharest a big type more than 2.000.000 inhabitants. The statistic evaluation for daily trips value is: Minimum : and maximum: From OTL Oradea surveys (2010 and 2013) resulted approx. 173.000 travelers daily public transport system, with over 20% less than minimum value. The mobility index of Oradea is 1,179, when Bucharest have over 2, but exists cities in Western-Europe with index upper 4! Possible explanations for this relative low value: - Motorization pronounced in the municipality (over 440 cars per 1000 inhabitants, but statistics also correct about 60.000 cars to about 90.000 families); - High density of people per hectare (18 in Oradea, comparing to Debrecen or Szeged in 9

Hungary near Romanian borderline with 6); - The number of pensioners relatively high (46.500 report to 204.000 inhabitants!); - Changes of behavior in the last 20 year ( a decline of public transport ) Point of view to build scenarios : Table 3. Scenarios and his characteristics The ideal scenario for SUMP At the request OTL SA was developed and a maximum expansion scenario (main objective in addition to the rest of the script was the involvement of the economic) The results showed that one can not hope for an extreme change in absolute terms Scenario, only measures without money investments, provides a superiority of 7.5 % Scenario, some investment with measures, provides a superiority of 37.5 % ideal scenario, all possible measures, provides a superior 57.5% Over the theoretically achievable 57.5%, in 6 years under supervision of SUMP any included visions are possible, with condition of all investments and measures On line awareness and behavior change : - reducing congestion (including reducing general traffic on road ) - elimination of freight traffic on a peak period of the day simultaneously renew their vehicles registration general municipal institutions ; - reducing the need for travel - developing sustainable forms of transport ( less polluting ) walking and cycling - reducing carbon emissions (including traffic management) On line use of urban space : - discipline built space planning (and utilities made by authorities) - parking management (including systems like "Park and Ride ) - improving road safety - to improve road infrastructure of the city In the field of public transport : - developing local public transport system ( network, means, timetables) - facilities in development: focused = depot - depot support, support = bus transfer stations - plan for commuters, intermodality modalities - providing superior conditions for intermodal transport services that benefit shall be in the city (metropolitan transport or county transport interoperable possibilities) - extension of E-ticketing system in the Metropolitan Area Intermediary conclusions of elaborating SUMP for Oradea: 10

after phase 1 of elaborating SUMP, we know, that : - to involve a lot of institution and people need time and patience - the work with all operators it s practically impossible - the results of studies have impact on political and economical decision of local administration and management of public transport company recommendation for the next phases: - synchronization of local and European visions, open possibilities of collaboration with EU companies and organizations - continue the implementation of E-ticketing system - extension of services to Metropolitan Area 3. Implementing E-ticketing system 3.1. A short chronology of the project in Oradea: 2010 - Study of feasibility to introduce e-ticketing system in Oradea (Horvath & partners GmbH) 2011 - Public acquisition procedure (repeat appeals to state authority), in November declared tender winner Radcom Ltd Bucharest, appeals in Justice initiated by the company from second position (UTI Ltd Bucharest) 2012 June - the Justice confirm the legality of procedure, we start implementation of soft and hardware 2012 December pilot software e-ticketing extension for Metropolitan Area (by ATTAC) 2013 January- first group who are involved use e-ticketing system in real time was the students, after that the normal customers, last one the pensionaries 2013 May - all categories of monthly tickets will change from printed tickets to RFID cards. 2013 October - more than 85% of monthly tickets are electronic cards, from 46500 pensioners more than 20.000 cards are distributed 2013 December all monthly passes are Card format 2014 January - implementation of e-ticketing extension in Metropolitan Area 3.2. Good practices in Europe a.) Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing London 11

12 Fig.9. Fare system and the network map LONDON b.) Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Paris

Fig.10. Fare system and the network map PARIS c.) Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Hannover 13

The economical GVH-MobilCard - a flexible, transferable family-friendly monthly ticket. You save even more with a yearly subscription GVH-MobilCard. 14 Fig.11. Fare system and the network map HANNOVER

3.3. E-Ticketing Architecture & Features a) Flexible fare collection methods using: - RFID cards, - Paper tickets b) Customizable subscriptions based on: - Lines / Areas, Period of time days, months; Number of journeys, Passenger profile inputs c) Data acquisition and processing for the entire lifecycle of Subscription and e-tickets: - Release, sale, usage and inspection d) Easy to integrate with other systems such as fleet management or passenger counting 3.4. E-Ticketing Architecture Fig.12. Structure of a standard e-ticketing system 3.5. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Front-end HW E-Check Device (1) E-CHECK is a robust/compact last generation equipment that enables a comfortable, fast and secured travel titles validation of: - RFID cards, - Paper tickets - Optional: SMS/MMS with/without 2D barcodes, paper tickets with 2D barcodes, any text Easy to use because of: - the friendly graphical interface - big display and capacitive touch screen E-CHECK allows: - Validation 15

- Control status - Information activities - Optional: multimedia features - video and audio. The rugged case together with the extrathick glass layer of the touch-screen enforce high protection against vandalism. Fig.13. Validator for vehicles 3.6. Passenger interface allows: a) Subscriptions and tickets validation: - RFID cards - paper tickets, b) Card information (validity period, available areas, last validation date and time, status) - Multilingual display of messages - Optional: Multimedia video & audio Fig.14. Menu: Commercial 3.7. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Front-end SW E-Check App (2) Control interface able to manage: - Inspectors authentication - Access rights only for the planned control activities - Different control/inspection sessions in the same vehicle - Different control/inspection sessions on the same E-check - Passenger card inspection - Controller/Inspectors statistics (each inspection is assigned to the authenticated controller/inspector) 16 Fig.15. Menu: Control

Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web & Admin Modules RADCOM WEB-based user friendly interface manages: - User roles and credentials to assure data security; - Tariff plans and commercial offers flexible setup; - Tickets / cards stock and distribution; - Point of sales configuration and administration (online/offline); - Employees schedule and planning (inspectors and sales stuff); - Public transport network and system equipment's diagnosis; - Statistics and reports regarding all the operations performed. Fig.16. Menu: USERNAME and PASSWORD for authorized acces 3.8. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Tariff Plans Tariff plans definition: - Tariff plan name/id - Validity period - No of areas included - No of journeys included Fig.17. Menu: Fare system defnition 17

Fig.18. Menu: Define type of custumor ticket 3.9. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Commercial Offers Commercial offers definition: - Commercial offer - Price name/id - Where to sell (selection of - Description Point of Sales) - Validity period - How to sell (nominal or - Tariff plan selection transferable) - Line - Traveler profile - Operator Fig.19. Menu: Commercial offer 3.10. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Tickets / Cards Stock Product and stock definition: - Product name and type (paper ticket, 1k contactless card etc. ) - Unit price - Minimum stock - Products available series 18

Fig.20. Menu: Stocks 3.11. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Tickets / Cards Distribution Stock assignment for each seller: - Product type (paper ticket for metropolitan area, 1k contactless card etc. ) - Quantity (the application generates the available series) - Maximum sales amount (a restriction designed to reduce fraud) - Possibility to write the assigned stock on each seller card 19 Fig.21. Menu: Stocks reports

3.12. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Inspectors team planning Team definition: Name/ID Structure Validity Fig.22. Menu: Inspectors planning 3.13. Team schedule configuration: - Vehicle route and daily program assignments - Programmed time intervals to perform the inspections Fig.23. Menu: Team planning 3.14. Inspector target definition: - Minimum number of inspections for each inspector Fig.24. Menu: Inspection numbers 3.15. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Cards management Complex module able to: - Format and personalize passengers cards (both encoding and printing) - Insert the formatted cards in general card stock of the system - Write and personalize all the operator card types (seller, controller, technician, driver) - Generate activity statistics regarding all the operator cards in the system (Card ID, employee name and ID, position, department) - Allow add to blacklist functionality - Activate/deactivate a card 20

Fig.25. Menu: Operators 3.16. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Reports & Statistics Flexible display of various types of reports: - Sales - Validations - Stocks - Passenger Cards - Inspections - Blacklist - Employees Timesheets - Equipment's History - System Access History Fig.26. Sample of graphic reports 21

22 Fig.27. Menu: Reports

3.17. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Back-end SW Web Administration Module Allows management of: - Passenger profiles - Institutions - Sales locations - Documents - Equipment - Employees - Departments - Positions/Jobs - Metropolitan Areas / Lines Fig.28. Menu: Journey profiles 3.18. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Front-end SW POS Module RADCOM desktop-based sales application with online functionality allowing: - Automatic synchronization of commercial offers, passengers profiles, seller stock - Subscriptions issuance based on passenger profile (nominal or transferable) - Tickets/Products sale - Seller authentication - Credit transfer - Blacklist management - Complaints registration - Real-time sales reports 23

Fig.29. Menu: Card recharge 3.19. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Extra Features Mobile Ticketing Fig.30. Mobile ticketing 24

Fig.31. 2D Barcode 3.20. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Extra Features Mobile Ticketing C. Generate QR code & deliver by SMS/MMS with/without DRM via WAP Push Mobile Operator Sevice Provider A. Send SMS with ticket request in back-end systems App Server - generates QR - puts JPG in SMS/MMS with/without - initiates WAP Push Fig.32. Mobile Operator passes request to the service provider 25

3.21. Background Picture - Copyrights to NOKIA Fig.33. Schematic representation 3.22. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Extra Features Mobile Ticketing QR Code DOV NFC Fig.34. Mobile ticketing devices 3.23. Metropolitan Area E-Ticketing Data Collections: Fig.35. Sample of passenger data collection 26

4. Fare system in the metropolitan area Until January 2014 the ticket prices was very detalied: Nr. Route Table 4. Ticket pricelist for Bors Actual Price (lei) Tickets Price 2013 (lei) Monthly Pass Actual Price (lei) Price 2013 (lei) 1. Oradea Sintion 4,50 4,50 70,00 70,00 2. Oradea Bors 5,00 5,00 80,00 80,00 3. Oradea Santaul Mic 5,50 5,50 90,00 90,00 4. Oradea Santaul Mare 6,00 6,00 100,00 100,00 5. Intracomunal 2,00 2,00 30,00 30,00 Nr. Route Table 5. Ticket pricelist for Sanmartin Actual Price (lei) Tickets Price 2013 (lei) Monthly Pass Actual Price (lei) Price 2013 (lei) 1. Oradea Baile Felix 3,00 3,00 62,00 62,00 2. Oradea Baile 1 Mai 3,00 3,00 62,00 62,00 3. Oradea Cordau 3,50 3,50 75,00 75,00 4. Oradea Betfia 4,00 4,00 75,00 75,00 5. Oradea Cihei 3,00 3,00 70,00 70,00 6. Oradea Simartin 2,50 57,00 57,00 57,00 7. Oradea ANL 1,50 2,00 40,00 40,00 8. Baile Felix Sinmartin 2,00 2,00 50,00 40,00 9. Baile 1 Mai Sinmartin 2,00 2,00 50,00 40,00 10. ANL Baile Felix 2,50 2,00 55,00 40,00 11. ANL Baile 1 Mai 2,50 2,00 55,00 40,00 12. Cordau Baile Felix 2,50 2,00 40,00 40,00 13. Cordau Sinmartin 3,00 2,00 50,00 40,00 14. Betfia Baile 1 Mai 2,50 2,00 65,00 40,00 15. Betfia Sinmartin 3,50 2,00 70,00 40,00 16. Baile 1 Mai Sinmartin Baile Felix - - 62,00 40,00 27

BENEFITS FOR PASSENGERS: Our deep analysis of the fare system has the results, that it s recommended to have a Combined Monthly Ticket for external routes and the internal lines. The calculation gived the value of a monthly combined ticket for Metropolitan Area in value 110 RON, indeferent of destination localities of neighbourhood. It s a more simplified system, with a lot of advantage for the passengers: only one card for using inside and outside of municipality, a friendly price 20-40% cheaper than before the sum of two pass (depending by the distance of destinations). 5. SOFTWARE of E-ticketing system The original software of e-ticketing system was elaborated by RADCOM Ltd Bucharest. The functionality are similary with other softwares, the menue are easy to use, there are no special needs for operating. The terminals can be general used PC s, the server must be a performant server with enough racks for memories, a good internet connection. 5.1. Main menu: 28

5.2. The Metropolitan Area Fare system 5.3. Sample for Report of validation on tram lines (line 2 in January 31) 29

5.4. Sample for Report of validation in the Metropolitan Area 5.5.Report of incomes locality Bors 30

5.6. Report of income for TVM Cantemir 6. ATTAC project results Oradea Transport Local SA as PP3 in project ATTAC have the next direct results: Aquisitions : - 40 pcs. dual validators for vehicles (as testing equipments of e-ticketing system extension in the metropolitan area) - 10 pcs. wireless router/pcb - 1 pcs. Acces point - 1 pcs. specialised software for pilot e-ticketing system in Oradea and his extension in the metropolitan area - The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for municipality of Oradea Benefits : - Advantages of simplified fare system - one card use in all OTL PT system 31

- friendly price for passengers - modern fare and ticketing system - Pilot equipments for vehicles - SUMP, the basis of PT modernization 6.1. SUMP, analysis: Pluses: Local passengers transport company (O.T.L. S.A.) with a long tradition, with only one owner - Oradea Municipality; - well structured PT lines system with a good coverage of areas (only) of interest; - adequate service frequency (time for arrival at peak hours of 6-12 min / line); - good public information (routes graphics, digital billboards for passengers information (40 stations equipped, 85 stations within a program in progress); - modern monitoring and dispatching system (information services for passengers) via GPS; - vehicles fleet under renewal and adaptation (regarding transport capacity and comfort level) to current needs; - level of service appreciated by the traveling public as (at least) generally satisfactory (90%) also regarding the lines structure and departures frequencies; - recent developed sociological study which reveals people's perceptions on public transport - the basis for increasing the level of service; - proper and responsible attitude towards the importance of the public transport development; Minuses: - part of the historical center deficient covered by public transport; - traffic regulations discouraging public transportation; - reduced opportunities to create dedicated lanes for public transportation vehicles; - lack of modalities / systems for prioritizing the public transport vehicles; - costs: tickets relatively high, monthly pass relative cheap; - cities of the suburban area poorly connected to the PT system of Oradea Municipality; Perspectives: - favorable public opinion and attitude to the development of the public transport authority; - U.E. funding sources oriented towards public transportation development; - cooptation by the operator of experienced and competent human resources; - expanding of the tram network to access some development areas. Barriers: - expanding habitation on the suburbs; - the low population density and dispersion on large areas are not favorable for PT service; - the loss of favorable conjunctures for public transport development; - loss of skilled human resources involved in the public transport activity; 32