The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has commenced steps for the total computerisation of the State transport undertaking.
Among the key features are electronic ticketing machines with GPRS, RFID, and Bluetooth, smart cards for commuters, GPS-enabled vehicle tracking system, passenger information system and video walls at bus stands to provide information on bus schedules.
The government has sanctioned ₹16.98 crore to the KSRTC for the project, which will be completed in two years, according to Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran.
Pact with C-DAC
As the first step, the government has entered into a ₹2.5-crore agreement with C-DAC for the installation of a central control room for vehicle tracking based on GPS data. The tender process for the purchase of 5,500 electronic ticket machines has also begun. The machines will be procured by March 31 next year.
Chairman and Managing Director, KSRTC, Biju Prabhakar said salaries of employees in the main office at Transport Bhavan had already been transferred to SPARK, which would be in place at all depots from January 1 2021. From April 1 next year, all payments would be through SPARK.
Ticket machines will be integrated with the existing Online Passenger Reservation System (OPRS) for live booking. Passengers can make use of smart cards, which can be recharged online.
Long-distance buses will be equipped with GPS in the first phase. The facility will be extended to city services in Thiruvananthapuram and local services in other districts in the final phase.
Tracking buses
Passengers wanting to board a bus will be able to track the vehicle through an app, which will provide information as soon as the bus starts and update details. Information on approaching bus stops will be flashed on a display board inside long-distance buses.
A video wall will be set up at the bus stands to give updates on the arrival and departure of buses. The KSRTC aims to earn ₹10 crore a month in advertising revenue within three years, the CMD said.
A central control room has been set up at the Anayara terminal in the capital to monitor fuel consumption of buses through a system developed in association with the Indian Oil Corporation. An radio frequency identification (RFID) ring attached to the diesel tank of a bus will help know the fuel intake from the IOC pump in the depot. The facility is available at 20 of the 65 depots.
