KSRTC bus stand to have computerised announcement

By Anil Sastry

BANGALORE, OCT. 6. ``May I have your attention please...'' -- the melodious voice hitherto heard announcing departures and arrivals of trains at major railway stations will soon be heard at the Kempe Gowda Bus Station (KGBS) here.

The computerised public address system is being experimented on a trial basis at the bus stand by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). The commuters could hear the public address system bereft of the inaudible voice. Manual announcement of departures was limited to peak hours.

The KSRTC has fed details of departure time of all buses to the computer, such as bus number, schedule number, the division to which the bus belongs, destination, route, departure time, number of seats and the kind of bus (whether ultra deluxe, deluxe or express).

According to Mr. S.V.Hulyalkar, Divisional Controller, KSRTC Bangalore Central Division, the software helped reduce manual work. When the bus number and schedule number were entered, other details appeared on the screen. If the bus was departing at the right time, the operator just had to press the OK button, enabling automatic announcement through the public address system. The system would provide details such as the platform number and the departure time.

If the conductor of a bus about to depart found that some passengers were missing, he could approach the operator and give details. The operator would enter the bus number and schedule number along with the seat number, and the application enabled announcement of the seat numbers which had not been occupied.

Mr. Hulyalkar said the application of the software eliminated errors which were likely to be committed by employees while announcing the details.

The system would enable the KSRTC to intimate commuters regarding the delay in departure and the possible late departure time.

The system provided several tips to the passengers. It cautioned passengers regarding suitcase lifters, pickpockets, and persons to be contacted in case of an emergency. All the announcements would be in Kannada and English.

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Section  : Southern States
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