The Hindu : New Delhi News : Smart card-based bus fare collection system introduced

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Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Smart card-based bus fare collection system introduced

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday launched a new automatic fare collection system on the Dwarka circular bus service. The initiative is aimed at promoting seamless travel in the Capital that would one day allow use of a common smart card for travel in buses, metro railway and maybe even taxis.

Ms. Dikshit said it would make travel comfortable for commuters as they would not have to buy a ticket from the conductor every time and therefore the hassle of cash and change would be eliminated.

She said while the new system had been introduced as a pilot project, it would soon be extended to other buses and integrated with the Delhi Metro railway.

The Delhi government, she added, had also reviewed the Bus Rapid Transit lane system keeping in view suggestions received from the public and now it had been given the shape of a convenient system to ensure lane discipline on roads and make sure that different kinds of vehicles ply side-by-side.

Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said the smart card, based on latest technology, would complete a transaction in 300th of a second.

The DTC, he added, has decided to install 20,000 smart card machines in its 10,000 buses in future.

In this system, passengers can use smart cards for payment of fare in these buses. These cards can be bought from conductors by paying Rs.100 inclusive of a security deposit of Rs.50.

Touch and go

As in Delhi Metro, passengers will just need to touch their cards on the validator at the time of entry and exit in the bus and the fare will be automatically deducted on the basis of the distance travelled.

The cards would be recharged by the conductors in slabs of Rs.50.

The new automatic fare system, developed by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, covers all six DTC low-floor buses on the Dwarka circular service for the present.

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