Project – DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ELECTRONIC TICKETING SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

This project aims at Design and implementation of an electronic ticketing system that is applicable to a Nigeria Railway Corporation as a case study. Repeated here are the concepts of e-ticketing, design requirements’ architectural options, and security and payment methods. The formal standard method called structured system analysis and design methodology [SSADM] is employed in the software development. The internet based ticketing service systems project will allow the intending passengers to purchase ticket online rather than the traditional physical contact with the ticket seller or clerk, and allows for advance booking for various travel schedules online. The project also enables adequate possibilities for tracking passengers within the system as well as providing validation of tickets. The entails the use of information service web server; configuring the company’s database [Microsoft access]. “Visiting Users” interacts with the system through designed web page running on the server. The concept of this project therefore, is to eliminate the disadvantages of using conventional means of issuing and controlling ticket reservations as well as record keeping.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page-   –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -i

Approval page-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -ii

Dedication-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -iii

Acknowledgment- –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -iv

Abstract-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -v

Table of contents-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -vi

Chapter one

• Introduction- – –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -1

1.1 Background of study- –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -2

1.2 Objectives of study-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -2

1.3 Statement of the problem-   –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -3

1.4 Significance of the study-    –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -4

1.5 Limitations of the study-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -4

1.6 Definitions of terms-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -5

Chapter two

Literature review-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -7

Introduction-         –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -7

Chapter three

System analysis and design –     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -35

3.1 Introductions – –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -35

3.2 Brief history of railways in Nigeria –       –        –        –        –        –        -35

3.3 The organization chart-       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -36

3.4 System analysis-       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -36

3.4.1 Analysis of the existing ticketing system-      –        –        –        –        -36

3.4.2 Model of the existing ticketing system- –        –        –        –        –        -37

3.5 Problems associated with the existing system-  –        –        –        –        -37

3.6 Alternatives for the existing system-       –        –        –        –        –        -38

3.7 Analyses of the proposed new E-ticketing system-      –        –        –        -38

3.8 Design structure-       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -40

3.8.1 The web pages –     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -40

3.8.2 Database management specification-    –        –        –        –        –        -42

3.8.3 Table specifications-        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -43

3.8.4 Web server specification – –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -46

3.9 Input/output specification-   –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -47

3.10 Algorithm of the pages-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -48

3.11 Choice of programming language-        –        –        –        –        –        -51

3.12 Program flowchart-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –

Chapter four

System implementation-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -52

4.1 Introductions-  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -52

4.2 Implementation techniques- –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -52

4.3 Testing the web page and server-   –        –        –        –        –        –        -52

4.4 System specification- –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -53

4.4.1 Hardware requirement-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -53

4.4.2 Software requirement–     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -54

4.4.3 Network requirement-      –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -56

4.5 Running the new internet based ticketing system-       –        –        –        -56

4.6 System flowchart-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –

Chapter five

Summary, conclusion and recommendations-         –        –        –        –        -57

5.0 Introduction-   –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -57

5.1 Summary-       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -57

5.2 Conclusion-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -57

5.3 Recommendation-     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -58

References- –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -59

Appendix-   –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -60

Source codes-       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        -61

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1     INTRODUCTION

Since the advent of the Internet, there have been several innovative changes in business transaction as a result of technological advancement, particularly in the field of electronics and telecommunication across the globe. Staff strength to the minimal. Various forms of trade have emerged from

This technological advancement has eased of these bureaucratic bottleneck and stress encountered in day-to-day business activities. Internet facilities have made purchasing a lot easier for customers who want to enjoy goods services from various companies. One can browse through the Internet in search of this need at the comfort of hiss home or office. Companies on the other hand have gotten a better means to showcase, promote and sell their staff strength to thee minimal. Various forms of trade have emerged from this technological breakthrough “Internet” but most intensity and existing is the concept of Electronic Commerce (E-commerce).

E-commerce involves business transaction over the Internet. It involves various techniques for conducting business through or using electronics assistance. With the emergence of E-commerce, business transactions have become less cumbersome, thus opening up a good opportunity for an efficient and effective way of managing business, making it affordable to the buyer and seller. It has gone a long way, as well as creating a cashless society.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF STUDY

It is evident that the continued growth of Internet as a means of communication and interaction has provided ample opportunities for business activities. For example, electronic ticking is Internet commerce at work. The aim is to facilitate the buying of tickets or seat reservation online, thus making the process easily accessible, less stressful, and convenient through these serves. Tickets may be purchase from any location at any time provided an Internet connection is accessible.

Typically, the tickets are ordered from a web site that provides both tickets information and purchasing or reservation service. So customers need not to meet an agent or seller to make a seat reservation or purchase a ticket for his travel. To effect this, many of the established Internet security standards are used often in vision, the ensure safe and reliable payment and ticket delivery.

This project work is a detailed work carried out on the application of E-ticketing, it’s prospects and limitations. It tends to exploit and thus, showcase the importance of Internet based ticketing Service System (E-ticketing) in the transportation sector and the methods used to safeguards their usage especially in railway scheme. The project is explicit on how the system of ticketing will meet passengers requests in the system and how the company will manage these information from their database system to check fraud and secure customers personal information. Nigeria Railway Corporation was used as a case study.

1.2     OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

This project is aimed at improving the existing ticket and daily seat reservations system in Nigeria Railway Corporation. This is achieved by analyzing and designing a fully functional automated ticketing and booking system that will be implemented online (through the Internet) to enable passengers buy their ticket, which can be used on a future dates, and made a seat reservation on any of their train stations. The system will provide the company with information and services to customers and will also automatically update company’s records by passengers’ transactions via the Internet.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem encountered at present with the manual ticketing system use by the company ranges from customers care, records, accounts and time constraints. The inefficiency of the manual ticketing implored at present by the railway Corporation was very obvious after a careful and thorough search, study and investigation. The opinion of the passengers (customers) were also sampled to ascertain these problems as well. The inefficient ticketing system and insufficient information presently posted at the corporation website was reviewed. The major difficulties encountered as received by the study include:

1. Problem of ineffective record keeping of passengers profile.
2. Inefficient ticketing system that cannot match high rate of tickets demand by passengers.
3. Problems of not managing passenger’s booking for advance travel schedule.
4. Problem of poor financial record keeping of daily transactions.
5. Problems of lack of expansion on the side of thee corporation due to frequent disorganization and mismanagement of funds.
6. Problems of inadequate customers care relation.

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The important of this study is geared upgrading the manual system of buying tickets to move effective and convenient way using the Internet; E-ticketing that allows passengers to buy the ticket from anywhere and at anytime. This will save Nigeria railway Corporation time and financial resources used in hiring staff and thus channel it’s limited resources towards the important ventures and expansion. It will as well make it posed meet the modern technology and be better placed to be more competitive and favorable with other companies in the transport sector. It will also position it better to a move efficient in service delivery to its numerous customers and make it outstanding in terms of customers care as the management will be able to receive compliments from its customers promptly through the Internet.

Through this study also, it is believed that the use of E-ticketing will be adopted by other sectors of transportation in Nigeria. Above all, the customers interest will be protected and they will have many options to choose at their convenience and discretion.

• LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This work is a detailed problem into existing manual system of ticketing in Nigeria railway Corporation. A scientific approach was used in data collection and system of enquiry, but some limitations were encountered which in any case will not be a considerable degree in determining the essence and result of this work.

Research questions were given to the management and staff of Nigeria Railway Corporation, their answers to the questions was mainly used for analysis. The questionnaires shared to passengers were as well used. So, the validity of these responses will affect the outcome of the analysis.

1.6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study examines Design and implementation of an electronic ticketing system. The study is limited to Nigeria Railway Corporation.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Tickets: A written or printed pieces of cards or paper that gives the holder certain right.

Electronic Ticket (E-Ticket): Is used to represent the purchase of a set for a passenger, usually through a website or by telephone. This form of purchase is rapidly replacing the old paper tickets. Once a reservation is made, an e-ticket exists only as a digital record in the transport owner’s computers. Customers usually print out a copy of their receipt which contains the record locator or reservation number and thee e-ticket number.

Record: Is to write information down or store it in a computer or a film so that it can be looked at in the future.

File: A set of papers, records etc containing information about a particular subject. It is a set of related data treated as a unit.

Data: A representing of facts, concept or instructions in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation or processing by human’s or by automatic means.

Database: A collection of interrelated data, often with controlled redundancy, organization according to a scheme to serve one or more applications, the data are stored so that different programs can use them without concern for the data structure or organization.

Internet: The Internet can be defined as thee connection of computers in a WAN (Wide Area Network) in order to share resources and vital information together. It can easily be illustrated using a spider web.

Project – DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ELECTRONIC TICKETING SYSTEM