Preventive maintenance and extended technical support are key aspects to ensure the durability of equipment that is subjected to intense work on a daily basis. At Panama's Gran Terminal Nacional de Transporte, Boon Edam turnstiles have operated for nearly two decades, with an optimal level of operation.
Passenger land transport terminals are places that receive high human traffic every day and that usually require tools to ensure control over those who enter the boarding areas, all in order to prevent the entry of people who will not travel, street vendors and other unauthorized people.
Although air tickets have decreased their prices in Latin America, allowing access to domestic and international flights to a large sector of the population, land travel continues as the most economical and practical option for many people, particularly in Central America, since its topography allows the widespread use of land passenger transport.
An example of a land transport terminal in the region with a significant daily influx of passengers is the Gran Terminal Nacional de Transporte de Panamá (GTNT), where more than 55 million passengers passed in 2014 heading to different destinations in Central America. This interconnection is achieved through 52 inter-provincial routes, 50 sub-urban routes and 2 international routes.
The GTNT is a building of almost one kilometer in length where all the bus lines that run through the territory meet and that began operations in 1998. In addition, in February 2014 the first metro line in Panama was inaugurated, which begins at the GTNT, thus making it the largest logistics center in the Central American country.
A long-term investment
When the construction of the GTNT began in 1996, it was determined that it was necessary to have equipment that regulated the passage of people to the platforms, in addition to allowing the charge for its use. Carlos De Sedas, vice president of Technology and Special Projects of the Los Pueblos Group, the company that owns the GTNT, recalls that at that time "the existence of equipment of this type was known, but it was not known that they were called 'turnstiles', much less the word in English (turnstile) was known". De Sedas adds that they decided to go to places like the New York subway and Disney World to see first-hand what equipment they used for access control.
"That's how we got to know the Tomsed brand," recalls De Sedas, the name of a tourniquet manufacturing company located in Lillington, North Carolina, in the U.S. that was acquired by Royal Boon Edam in 2005, making it its headquarters and factory for this country and the American continent.
For the GTNT, 75 TUT60T turnstiles were purchased from Tomsed, designed to handle high levels of traffic and considered the highest-end equipment at the time. In addition, its finish in stainless steel for heavy work differentiates it from other turnstiles used in the corporate field so they are considered very robust equipment, while their resistance, functionality and quality in their finishes make this equipment an investment for the future.
Smooth and orderly traffic
Thus, the turnstiles were installed at the accesses to the boarding platforms, where a small charge is made to enter, and at the entrances to the bathrooms, "where a small value is also charged for the entrance, with the added value that they are completely clean bathrooms, even more than in international airports", says De Sedas.
Until 2010, payment was made with coins using a mechanism integrated into the turnstile, which then evolved into a payment system through proximity cards (RapiPass), replacing the coin mechanism with a sensor at the top of the turnstile, without the need to change it. "Now the money is recharged on a card for each user, it approaches the turnstile sensor that discounts the corresponding value and grants access," explains De Sedas.
This mechanism proved to be a wise decision, since 80% of passenger traffic is "fast flowing", that is, people arrive at a central platform where there are 24 turnstiles placed in line where they pass making their respective payment, to directly board the buses that will take them to their destination.
"There are two key objectives in this system: to make the collection in an orderly way and to keep the platforms tidy and decongested for passengers who make use of the terminal", a method that users see as effective, because if the turnstiles were not installed, in the place there would be disorder and it would be "difficult to manage", explains De Sedas.
Preventive maintenance, the key to a long service life
In 2015, 17 years after its commissioning, the turnstiles "continue with such good performance, that they work the same as the first day," says the executive, who explains that the GTNT allocates a small part of its budget for maintenance of the turnstiles, because "it is not something expensive, they are equipment that if taken care of well, they are not harmed." It adds that only every two years are spare parts requested from Boon Edam, due to normal wear and tear.
The highlight of the operation of the turnstiles has been their long period of operation, since none of the equipment has ever been changed. For De Sedas, the key point for its long service life is preventive and timely maintenance, especially of the mechanical part. In addition, it is essential to have enough spare parts in stock, as well as a person capable of keeping the equipment in operation, "especially when it comes to equipment that cannot go out of service," he says.
A fact to highlight is that different entities have visited the GTNT looking for references on the operation of the turnstiles, as is the case of the Panama Canal Authority, where they have obtained a favorable first-hand impression of the performance and durability of these equipment.
In addition, turnstiles are a tool that makes it easier for the GTNT to maintain statistical records of passenger traffic, through counters integrated into the equipment. "Originally, the meters were mechanical and now we have electronic meters that are inside the turnstile. In addition, we have the records of the proximity sensors of the Rapipass cards, which allows us to have exact data on how many people passed in a certain period of time, "says De Sedas.
The executive concludes that, although Tomsed turnstiles (now Boon Edam), are not considered by the company as "low-cost equipment", their strength, functionality and high quality "make this equipment a good long-term investment".
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