The Hindu : Front Page : SETC runs trials for online reservation

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Saturday, Jun 09, 2007
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SETC runs trials for online reservation

Karthik Subramanian

GOING HI-TECH: An ultra deluxe bus of the State Express Transport Corporation. — File photo: R. Ashok

CHENNAI: The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) has started running trials for online reservation for bus tickets. Within the next couple of months, the State Government undertaking has planned to launch website reservation system, similar to the one offered by the Railways.

Real time online reservation will help commuters purchase tickets between any two destinations from any of the SETC sales counter.

Senior officials said right now the trials were being run only for its 255 ultra deluxe services.

Commuters will be able to purchase tickets between any two destinations from the 35 inter-linked ticket centres.

On an average, the Corporation sells between 8,000 and 10,000 tickets a day for its 955 services.

The Chennai-Bangalore and the Chennai-Madurai are among the busiest sectors with near-full occupancy rates. While the occupancy rates are high for almost all the ultra deluxe services, the super deluxe and express buses suffer from lack of patronage. Officials said the main reason for that was the difficulty in booking tickets. They said with real time online booking, sales could increase by 30 per cent.

The reservation system is inspired by the service offered by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. Last year, it introduced an online booking system called `awatar' (any where any time advanced reservation) for its offices and ticketing agents.

Right now online ticketing has linked 35 centres of SETC. The Corporation plans to increase the number to 50.

Bangalore-based Radiant Infosystems is developing the software and solution for SETC.

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