How NCM transformed passenger counting in Emilia-Romagna
From Emergency Response to Regional Operational Intelligence
In Emilia-Romagna, local public transport is managed by four main operators: TPER https://www.tper.it/ (Bologna and Ferrara), SETA https://www.setaweb.it/ (Modena, Reggio Emilia, and Piacenza), Start Romagna https://www.startromagna.it/ (Rimini, Forlì-Cesena, and Ravenna), and TEP https://www.tep.pr.it/ (Parma).
In 2020, during the COVID-19 emergency, TPER launched a smart passenger monitoring project to control onboard occupancy and comply with social-distancing limits set by national regulations.
What began as an emergency response quickly evolved into a scalable, data-driven model supporting more accurate and effective service planning.
The challenge
Operators needed a solution that was:
fast to deploy;
accurate in real operating conditions;
scalable across large fleets;
economically sustainable;
without requiring any new onboard hardware installation.
NCM’s approach: fast implementation, no additional hardware
NCM developed an innovative passenger-counting system based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision, leveraging the Streamax onboard video-surveillance infrastructure already installed by Cediss (Castenaso).
This algorithm, powered by images from bus DVRs, enabled real-time recording of onboard passenger volumes, with updates every minute.
By processing DVR video streams, the platform provides:
onboard passenger counts;
the number of passengers boarding and alighting at each stop;
one-minute updates to a cloud table including bus ID, stop name, passenger count, and counting accuracy.
A data platform designed for operations
Beyond counting, the system integrates multiple data sources to turn raw events into operational intelligence:
data fusion with GPS, door status, and scheduled trip data;
integration with AVM/AVL systems;
GTFS data integration to align with service patterns and timetables;
operational and planning dashboards for analysis by route, stop, time band, and service day type.
Region-wide rollout at scale
NCM’s solution stood out for its ease of implementation, speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. These strengths drove rapid adoption by SETA, TEP, and Start Romagna, extending deployment across the region and delivering what was positioned as the world’s first AI-based passenger counting project at this scale.
Today, the platform is active on approximately 2,000 buses, supporting:
monitoring of transported demand;
service optimization;
development of origin-destination (O-D) matrices.
Operational impact
The project delivers measurable value in both daily operations and mid-term planning:
frequency planning better aligned with real demand;
improved vehicle sizing by time band and corridor;
reduced empty kilometers on low-occupancy segments;
objective evidence for school-service reinforcements and seasonal peaks.
From compliance to long-term value
What started as a crisis response now enables strategic mobility management at regional scale.
NCM’s AI platform helps operators improve efficiency, passenger comfort, and decision-making speed through a practical, sustainable, and fleet-scalable approach.
Ready to Transform Your Fleet Data into Operational Intelligence?
Would you like to understand how AI-based passenger counting can enhance your transport network, without installing new hardware?
👉 Contact us to assess your existing onboard infrastructure and discover how to deploy a scalable, real-time passenger intelligence system across your fleet.
