BANGALORE: When you buy that ticket on a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus, you can feel happy that 10 paise from each ticket will help in the Corporation's technology initiatives.

And, from every monthly bus pass, Rs. 10 goes for the same purpose. This technology upgradation may save the BMTC more than Rs. 2 crores a year on accident compensation.

BMTC Managing Director Upendra Tripathy says: "We plan to use this fund for initiatives such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) to track bus movements."

The BMTC anticipates that during 2005-06, it can collect Rs. 7.66 crores from bus tickets, Rs. 30 lakhs from student bus passes, Rs. 27.69 lakhs from dedicated passes for industrial workers and Rs. 52.56 lakhs from chartered services.

Without any additional burden on commuters, we hope to make bus services more reliable through technology upgradation."

Voice response

An interactive voice response system as used by the railways for bus information and a passenger information system is planned by the BMTC.

The private buses leased by the Corporation are already fitted with GPS, but extending it to buses owned by it will now become possible.

BMTC has appointed two private firms to implement its technology initiatives.

They will provide a web-based fleet management system which will make it easier to deploy additional buses where required.

Tracking accidents

Another fallout will be tracking road accidents involving buses. With almost real-time information about an accident, BMTC officials can rush to the spot and find out who caused the accident.

In many cases, BMTC buses are falsely implicated in accidents and the Corporation has to shell out large amounts as compensation, he said.

This amounts to more than Rs. 2 crores a year and its buses are involved in around 140 accidents. In other instances, it may become possible to face legal action with enough facts to back up.

LEDs to be fixed

To make it easier to track its buses, BMTC plans to fix light emitting diodes (LED) to each of its buses.

Twenty buses have already been fitted with LEDs as a pilot project and the cost involved for each bus is Rs. 18,000.

Monitoring bus movements is considered important as delays can be reduced as also turnaround time at terminals. In the long run this may also help reduce overcrowding of buses.

The BMTC has sent a proposal to the Union Government seeking financial assistance of Rs. 2 crores for its technology initiatives.

Part of it is likely to be used for technology feasibility studies related to other innovations planned.

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