PURPOSE: To quickly switch the passage direction in an automatic ticket examining and collecting machine by receiving information, which permits passage among plural automatic ticket examining and collecting machines, by a controller and setting the passage direction among automatic ticket examining and collecting machines by this controller.

CONSTITUTION: The number of persons passing an automatic ticket examining and collecting machine 32 is counted, and the counted result is transmitted to a controller. The controller consisting of a control part 10, a display part 12, and a data transmission/reception part 16 sets the direction of persons pass ing the automatic ticket examining and collecting machine 32 in time series based on the counted result transmitted from the automatic ticket examining and collecting machine 32. Since the direction of passersby is set based on a conventional statistical quantity, the direction of persons passing the automatic ticket examining and collecting machine 32 is accurately set. Thus, the passage direction of passersby is quickly switched at the automatic ticket examining and collecting machine 32.