New high-tech devices in Guangzhou’s coach terminals, train stations, and airports facilitate the Spring Festival travel rush which began on Feb 1 and will last until March 12, bringing more convenience to passengers.
Baiyun International Airports
Passengers who have only carry-on-baggage can go directly to security check with the QR code received on mobile phones and their valid ID cards. They do not need to queue for the check-in counters.
International passengers are lining up for the customs check at the Baiyun Airport. [PhotoSouthcn.com]
46 self-service machines have been set up at the Baiyun airport to facilitate the Spring Festival travel rush, where passengers can lend the power bank to charge their phones. These kiosks allow online payment through scanning QR codes.
China Southern Airlines has launched barrier-free websites for visually impaired passengers. The websites feature bigger and clearer fonts, and its tailored web page can guide visually disadvantaged passengers to access flight information and book tickets.
Train stations
A passenger is using the facial recognition machine at the railway station.[PhotoXinhua]
New turnstiles with facial recognition technology in Guangzhou Railway Station shorten the process of ticket verification. Passengers can pass through the turnstiles once the scanned facial features match with the ID cards.
A passenger is paying for his Guangzhou-Shenzhen line ticket when he enters the station. [PhotoXinhua]
New ticket vending machines have also been set up in Guangzhou East Railway Station, which accept UnionPay IC card and mobile QuickPass pay. Passengers taking Guangzhou-Shenzhen route can slot their IC cards or scan the e-tickets on their mobile phones to enter and exit the station. They can also print out the invoice if necessary. The whole process can be shortened by 20 minutes.
Coach terminals
A passenger uses the facial recognition system at the Guangdong Provincial Coach Station before boarding.[Photo/Southcn.com]
Guangzhou's coach terminals are utilizing facial recognition technology for ticket verification. The new system will shorten the process to about three seconds, and assist police in tracking suspicious persons at coach terminals.
"The machine takes a picture of the passenger and matches it with the photo on their ID card. The whole process is quick and accurate," said a staff member of the coach terminal.
Facial recognition is also applied to match drivers’ facial features with their licenses and the database, which helps filter out drivers with fake licenses.
In addition, every coach has its own set of QR codes posted on it, so that passengers can scan the codes to assess the coach service and to check information of the coach. This practice helps identify the illegal coaches.
Reported by Jasmine Yin, Heather Lu(intern)
Edited by Wing Zhang
