Smartmatic, Dataprom sign US$370mn deal for Cartagena mass transit system

Technological solutions provider Smartmatic and Brazilian traffic management technology solutions company Dataprom have signed a deal for US$370mn in Colombia to provide a management system for a new mass transportation system in Cartagena, according to a press release from Smartmatic. Cartagena selected the JV to implement and operate the fare collection and fleet management system for the city's bus rapid transit (BRT). Smartmatic will supply financial, technology and management services to the transit authority Transcaribe. The project will cover Cartagena and surrounding municipalities and will comprise a fare collection system based on smart card payment technologies and a real-time fleet management and control system for public transport buses. It will also have a passenger information system and fare card vending machines spread throughout the area. According to Transcaribe, Smartmatic and Dataprom beat out five other bidders in the process, as their consortium received the highest score with the best price and most sustainable solution. Transcaribe said the company's proposal was designed and adapted to challenges specific to Cartagena. Dataprom has experience with transit systems in Brazil, such as the implementation of its system in the city of Curitiba. For its part, Smartmatic has experience developing and implementing high-volume transactional platforms, as well as in deploying mission-critical projects. The system is expected to be up and running in 2012, with a targeted lifespan of 18 years.