Technical glitches have hit the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in Mysuru as the passenger information systems (LED screens) installed at several bus stops have stopped displaying real-time information on the arrival time of buses.
The message ‘Welcome to KSRTC’ is being displayed on LED screens at several bus-stops here, instead of commuter information such as type of bus, route number, via route and arrival time.
Technical problemsKSRTC officials in Mysuru admitted that technical problems had affected the functioning of the ITS and two teams – one from an information technology (IT) company and another from the KSRTC – had started working on addressing the hitch.
“It seems the satellite is not picking up signals from the global positioning system (GPS) devices installed in every bus for passing information on their positions and expected time of arrival at the bus stops.
There could be errors in geo-fencing systems which are being attended to,” said KSRTC Divisional Controller (Mysore Urban) H.M. Ramesh. A geo-fence is a virtual boundary set for a geographical area.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Ramesh said the corporation had received complaints that LED display screens at some bus stops had stopped displaying commuter information and were constantly showing the ‘Welcome to KSRTC’ display. However, there is no problem in the systems at the City bus stand, he added.
The IT company which implemented the ITS project and has responsibility of its operation for three years was informed about the glitch.
A team from the company is visiting bus stops where the LED systems are malfunctioning. LED display screens for transmitting passenger information had been installed at 115 bus shelters here. While 20 ten-line LED PIS boards and one 16-line board had been installed at the city bus stand, eight 10-line boards and five 16-line boards had been installed at Inter Modal Transit Centres at Yelwal, Sathagalli, Kuvempunagar, and R.S. Naidu Nagar, constructed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), and the bus stops at Mysore zoo and Karanji Lake Nature Park.
The ITS project was launched with much fanfare in 2012. Since the launch, the project has encountered several problems.
Power supply cut offSometime ago, there was an interruption in displaying passenger information as power supply was cut off for “non-payment of dues” by maintaining agencies.
The KSRTC subsequently intervened to get electricity connections for alternative shelters, which lacked power supply, and foot the bills to continue operating the Passenger Information Systems.
ITS was launched at a cost of Rs. 23 crore under the Global Environment Facility-Sustainable Urban Transport Project, which is funded by the State and Union government, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme.
