The lack of supply and a delay in servicing Electronic Ticketing Machine (ETMs) has forced the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to resort to its old practice of manual ticketing, irking both bus conductors and passengers.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has stepped in to help, with its printing press at Shantinagar printing 12 lakh bus tickets per day.
“The printing press run by KSRTC has been supplying tickets for the BMTC for years. However, after the BMTC introduced the ETMs, the demand for printed tickets dropped. Now, due to issues with the ETMs, the BMTC is placing more orders. This year, the printing press has already supplied 10 lakh ticket books (each book consists of 100 tickets) to the BMTC. The staff at the printing press is now working in three shifts instead of one,” said a KSRTC official.
The BMTC operates 6,500 buses in the city and more than 45 passengers rely on the city bus service.
Conductors of city buses are demanding that the BMTC resolve the issue of ETMs at the earliest as manual ticketing was causing a lot of inconvenience to them. “At the depot, we were told that there is no supply of ETMs and they asked us to issue printed tickets. Manual tickets take much more time when compared to ETMs as we have to make the entry after issuing the ticket. During the peak hours, when buses run packed, it causes too many problems,” said a conductor in Shivajinagar.
Another conductor on the K.R. Puram route, added: “We have been facing this problem for the last three to four months. The number of ETMs is dropping gradually. Even passengers are asking us why we are going back to the old practice. But we are going by the instructions we receive from officials.”
Passengers are not amused. Ranjinth, a passenger, said, “The BMTC should think about introducing new age transactions for ticketing. It is very surprising that the transport corporation is encouraging an old practice. The BMTC must provide varied options such as smart cards, online purchase of tickets and others for city commuters.”
N.V. Prasad, MD, BMTC, held the vendor selected by the BMTC four years ago, responsible for the mess. “The vendor has filed for bankruptcy. The BMTC had taken up the issue with the vendor for resolution, but the company has failed to provide the service as promised. In this backdrop, the BMTC is floating a new tender to select a new vendor.”
KSRTC tickets being issued too
Due to shortage of tickets, the BMTC is also using the tickets of KSRTC. Some passengers were left confused as city bus conductors started issuing KSRTC tickets. A BMTC official said, “There is nothing illegal in city conductors issuing KSRTC tickets. When there is a shortage, the BMTC borrows tickets from the KSRTC and the same have been issued by the conductors on some routes.”
