BMTC to offer high-tech service on GPS

The Bangalore Metropoliton Transport Corporation (BMTC) is all set to roll out its ambitious Intelligent Transport System (ITS) project soon. The project, slated to be rolled out in the fourth week of this month, will initially be introduced depot-wise. The scheme is designed to streamline bus transport system and ease commuting woes. The entire system will be operated based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) fitted in the vehicle.

According to BMTC sources, the process had been outsourced to Trimax IT Infrastructure and Services. Under the package, the vehicles would be equipped with GPS units to track vehicle movement online and electronic ticketing machines while the depot would get the depot management system. The overall project cost is estimated at Rs 69 crore.

The most useful aspect of the GPS-supported ITS is real-time information update of buses that passengers can receive while they wait at bus stops. Sending an SMS to a given number or logging onto a website created for the purpose will allow passengers to know the exact location where a particular bus is, at a given point in time.

While the corporation expects an increase of about 20 percent in its traffic revenue through efficient operations, curbing pilferage and increased ridership, the commuter would be the ultimate beneficiary, BMTC sources added.
BMTC plans to install passenger information system (PIS) display units at major bus stations and travel and transit management centres, which will provide the expected time of arrival and departure of buses.

To begin with, the BMTC will have the ITS scheme on 236 buses running from the Yelahanka depot. Following a study of the package with its pilot launch in Yelahanka in the first 1-2 months, it will later be made available in all other buses.
The entire project requires installation of GPS on 6,800-odd buses and same level of Electronic Ticket Machines (ETMs), 35 passenger information system (PIS) display units, a data and command control centre being housed at the central office and a depot management system for every depot.

Under the ITS package, the data centre will monitor buses and ticketing machine. There will be apps/software to receive data from GPS fitted in each bus while bus stops will be geo-coded as to give live information to commuters. The geo-fenced bus stops will signal vehicle movement within the fence and sense when it moves out. So buses, which are not stopping at designated bus stops, can be tracked by the BMTC administration.

BMTC operates 6,808 buses under 6,269 schedules, covering 12.62 lakh kilometres a day while recording Rs 5.20 crore in revenue and catering to 4.95 million passengers.