BANGALORE: After the Bangalore One kiosks, the city will have another first in the country to its credit in terms of facilities for the people: a helpline that will track the city buses.

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is set to introduce an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS). This will put an end to the agonising wait at the bus stop for the harried commuter. He or she can call the helpline, punch in the route number and know how far the bus is from the bus stop. This information will be flashed on the digital display screen at the bus stop.

To achieve this, the BMTC has decided to invest Rs. 37 on each of its 3,500-odd buses. "We welcome any private company that is ready to install and maintain necessary equipment on our buses at the rate," Upendra Tripathi, Managing Director of BMTC, said.

Mr. Tripathi told The Hindu that when the system is in place, the commuter can decide when he should start for the bus stop by calling the IVRS number from home or office. But all this will be possible when the BMTC integrates its global positioning system (GPS) with the IVRS and Passenger Information System (PIS).

Every BMTC bus will be fitted with the GPS equipment, which will help the control room track it. So far, 500 buses have been fitted with GPS and 500 more will get them, Mr. Tripathi said.

The entire project is expected to cost Rs. 10 lakhs for BMTC, Mr. Tripathi said.

But the cost will be recovered quickly. BMTC expects to attract 5 per cent more passengers with this. At present, the corporation carries 31 lakh passengers.

The BMTC is considering using the area locator facility of the mobile phone companies. "If this happens, all we need to do is provide a mobile phone for every bus.

As the bus moves from one area to another, we will get to know the place it is moving." But this may not provide accurate data.

"We are looking into this problem," Mr. Tripathi said.

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