In: Computer Science
Alameen is a railway system and wants to install Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) on the platforms of all rail stations in Peshawar. The TVMs will allow the passenger to buy a ticket/pass using cash, coins, debit cards, or credit cards. The interface of the TVMs should be very easy for the passengers to buy their tickets.
This system should be designed in such a way that the passenger first selects the ticket type, transaction mode, and then get a pass/ticket. Passengers can be adult, senior/disabled citizens, child (5-14 years old), high school, or college students. Ticket type can be either a two-hour pass, midday pass, or AM pass (Monday through Friday from 09:30 am to 02:30 pm), a PM pass (noon through the end of service on the date purchased), a day pass, a 7-day pass, or a 31-day pass. There will be no ticket fare for senior or disabled citizens. The only thing they have to show during traveling is the valid ID and ticket. The ticket fare for a child (5-14 years old), high school or college students will be reduced, and they will have to show valid Id along with ticket (reduced fare) to the ticket checking authority.
The system should restrict the unauthorized users from using the system. The system should be fast enough that it should accept the input from the user in less than 1 second. The system should be fast enough to print the ticket to the user within 3 to 5 secs when user inserts all the required information. The system should be available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The system will also be used by the operator to know the cash and coins inside the machine and withdraw or deposit cash when required. The system is designed in such a way to allow admin to generate reports. The reports include how many tickets are sold, the number of transactions, cash or coins collected, change fares, cash, or coins dispensed.
Read the above-mentioned scenario and answer the following questions which are as follows: