JOIN USJCTSL Tuesday last became the first corporation to enter into an agreement for the implementation of the common mobility card of the Union Urban Development Ministry.
JCTSL’s agreement with the Ministry will see it acquire ‘More’ - the name given to the card.
Karnataka Minister for Transport, R Ashoka, had not long ago made the announcement that the Centre had chosen the State to introduce the card by sharing 35 per cent of the cost of the scheme. The Urban Development Ministry chose JCTSL over KSRTC as the latter was not ready with the required technology or a final detailed plan.
An official from KSRTC disclosed its plans of going one step further than JCTSL, by collaborating with a commercial entity that shows interest. He said if cinema halls, shopping complexes and entertainment centres come forward for an agreement, the mobility card can also be used for purchases in those places. BMTC, BMRCL, cabs and even autorickshaws may be brought under the ambit of the mobility card.
“It is important to note that if one travels from Bangalore to another State which has this facility, the same card can be utilised there too,” said the official. Interestingly, the proposal of KSRTC and BMTC implementing the card was mooted years ago.
Preliminary stage
Shankaralinge Gowda, the then principal secretary to the transport department, had said at a conference in July that the State will get the card soon. However, K A Rajkumar, Director (Operations) of KSRTC, says that the exercise to understand the scope of the card is at a preliminary stage.
Asked if this means KSRTC will be overtaken by Bhopal’s Transport Corporation which stands next in line to enter into an agreement with the Centre. Rajkumar replied in the negative. The card will be operational in Jaipur by March 2012.
Rajkumar did not disclose the financial aspects of procuring such a high-end technology. It will be provided by UTIITSL, India’s PAN card issuer.