JOIN USOnce in place, the endless wait for buses will soon be over, for the movement of every bus in Mysore city will be tracked through satellites.
In order to provide better amenities to passengers, particularly precise bus timings, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will adopt real time passenger information system (RTPIS), providing commuters with accurate information about the arrival and departure of buses on the electronic boards displayed at bus stops and also on the buses.
According to officials, the technology will not only be attractive but also an affordable option.
This is the first such project being implemented in the country. The project in Mysore is taken up on a pilot basis. The Union Urban Development Ministry has sanctioned
Rs 22.5 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for the programme. All city buses in Mysore will be equipped with mobile data terminal equipment which will transfer data from GPRS SIM cards via a dedicated satellite to the control room at the city bus station. The equipment will provide details about the departure time and the exact location of buses. And KSRTC officers can monitor the vehicles in the control room. KSRTC managing director Gaurav Gupta told Deccan Herald here that a detailed project report for the scheme has been prepared and around 400 buses will be brought under the ambit of RTPIS.
Pilot basis
As the Centre is keen to modernise the urban transport system in the country, Mysore city has been selected on a pilot basis to implement this project, D Tangaraj, Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, said.
Tangaraj, who met Union Ministry of Urban Development Secretary M Ramachandran here recently, said the project will not only help passengers but also provide better quality passenger services.
For a smooth ride
* For the first time in the country, KSRTC will adopt Real Time Passengers Information System (RTPIS) in Mysore on a pilot basis
* RTPIS will provide passengers precise information on arrival and departure of buses at bus stops and on the buses
* Data transfer will be through satellite via GPRS SIM card and other data terminal equipment
* 400 buses will be brought under the RTPIS
* Union Urban Development Ministry has sanctioned Rs 22.5 crore under JNNURM