BMTC relaunches its app to track bus stops, arrivals

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has relaunched its app for Android phones nearly a year after the previous version of the application hit the wall due to technical problems.

The public transporter on Wednesday said the app, developed by Nihar Thakkar, was launched by its chairman N S Nandiesha Reddy, managing director C Shikha and the director for security and vigilance, Anupam Agrawal.

The 'MyBMTC' app, available on Google Play, comes with five key features: Estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the buses at bus stops, trip planner, nearby stops, route-based search and a page for favourite routes.

The latest app is similar to its predecessor in terms of the range of information provided but is far more user-friendly due to the improved user interface, which makes it easy to access the information.

The home page of the app automatically tracks the nearby bus stops. Users not only get information about the routes of buses connecting a particular stop but also the ETA of a particular route.

For those confused by multiple stops at a single junction, the page also has the trip planner. Entering the destination will suggest the stop a passenger has to reach as well as the buses available to reach there.

"The app was in the making for three to four months. We conducted some trials before releasing it. We plan to introduce more features in the coming updates," a senior BMTC official said.

The official said that at present, the focus was on providing basic information without a hitch before going for upgrades. "Ultimately, we plan to add features that help a passenger track how many seats are available on a bus arriving at a stop. Such real-time information will not only ensure convenience for passengers but also help us understand passenger behaviour," the official explained.