Question

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.    

To understand the operation of Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) and how to buy a ticket through TVMs, please watch the following short tutorials (one is 4:52 and other is 2:35 min: secs) as listed below:  

1. Daily News Pakistan, “How to use 'Zoo' card for travel in Peshawar BRT | Daily News Pakistan |[available Online] ”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aB0ucyP8vY[Accessed 11/10/2020].

2. Dart Dallas, “How to use a DART TVM” [available Online] https://youtu.be/2bRDtcIhiqA [Accessed 11/10/2020].

Read the above-mentioned scenario and answer the following questions which are as follows:

1. Compare both BRT TVM and DART TVM mentioned in the above reference 1 and 2 respectively. List down the main features of both system and suggest which system is better and why?
2. What are the functional and non-functional requirements in above-mentioned scenario?
3. Draw the use case diagram for above-mentioned scenario.

Answer 1

(A)

BRT TVM - The BRT Ticket Vending Machine for automated bus ticket regsitration system in Pakistan, Peshawar is optimally and efficienty designed. The system requires a "Zu card" to provide servcies to the customers for riding bus. A "Zu card" corresponds to a cards that is purchased either by using a TVM or an the online Zu App. Using the TVM machine you can use many services like buying a Zu card, topup your Zu card, A single fare ticket or a bicycle membership. The TVM machine. Using the TVM you can either buy a new Zu card or recharge Zu card, you just need to select an amount for recharge and insert cash directly into the machine or can also use debit/credit cards for the transaction. Once a Zu card is obtained you need to pass thorugh security checks and swipe your Zu card through an automated sensor to access the station and ride a bus.

DART TVM - The Dart TVM on the other hand follows a different approach and instead of a card it issues a pass that one can use to ride a train. The proces for obtaining a pass is follows, if you are an adult you need to select the adult option and then select the ticket type which is categorized as 2-hour,Mid-day,day,7 day,31 day pass. After selecting the tciket type you need to select the fare type that is either local or regional. After the process you can enter you money either in coins or (1,5,10,20$) bills or else you can use your credit/debit cards. If you are a student,senior citizen,child or disabled you are eligible for a reduced fare option which is available for on;y for 2-hour,midday and day pass. You will have to provide your respective id for getting a reduced fare pass.  

As for my opinion I think the Dart TVM is more organized in terms of distribution of age groups and fare types and ticket types as you can select the hours for your travel based on your ticket. If you are a daily traveller you can just use the 31-day pass and if you also a student than you can use reduced fare pass. Understanding all things both the TVMs are well-managed and organized but the DART TVM takes the top spot here.

(B)

Functional requirements.

1. Authentication of user and verify the ID.
2. Issues pass based on type of payment provided.
3. Print pass and details of the user .
4. Allow admins to generate report.
5. Collect cash and handle it efficiently.

Non-Functional Requirements.

1. The system should be robust and easy to use
2. The system should be unique with no duplicate entries.
3. The system should be built optimally to handle errors.
4. The system should be tested for test cases(Best and Worst)
5. The system should implement a good payment vendor system with less turnaround time as it wants to complete a request in less than 1 second.
6. A good database system to keep track of the user.

(C)