KSRTC commuters to get real-time bus tracking through VTMS soon

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) volition soon instrumentality the long-awaited Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring System (VTMS), which volition alteration passengers to way KSRTC buses successful existent clip done a newly-developed mobile application.

According to officials, commuters volition beryllium capable to show the unrecorded question of implicit 8,000 KSRTC buses, allowing them to program their journeys much efficiently and trim uncertainty during agelong waits astatine autobus stops. As portion of the project, a dedicated Command and Control Centre volition besides beryllium established to negociate and show VTMS operations.

“KSRTC has precocious floated a tender to instrumentality an precocious VTMS crossed its fleet, marking a large measurement towards modernising autobus operations, improving rider safety, and strengthening operational oversight,” a elder authoritative told The Hindu.

As per the tender document, VTMS volition beryllium an integrated, AIS-140-compliant level designed to way buses successful existent time, show adherence to routes and schedules, make operational alerts, and respond to emergencies done panic buttons installed wrong buses. The strategy volition harvester vehicle-mounted hardware, backend bundle applications, and a Central Control Station (CCS) to alteration round-the-clock monitoring.

Emergency buttons

“KSRTC presently operates a fleet of 8,305 buses, of which 1,286 already person AIS-140-certified conveyance tracking devices and exigency buttons. Under the projected project, VTMS volition beryllium deployed crossed the full fleet, including existing and aboriginal vehicles, with provisions to integrate already installed devices,” the authoritative explained.

Apart from the existing buses, KSRTC plans to induct 735 caller buses, each of which volition besides beryllium brought nether the VTMS framework.

“Each autobus volition beryllium acceptable with a Vehicle Tracking Unit (VTU) connected to GNSS/IRNSS satellites and cellular networks. These units volition transmit determination information astatine fixed intervals each 10 seconds for metropolis services and each 60 seconds for different services on with alerts connected speeding, way deviation, unauthorised stoppages, bunching of buses, and missed trips. The strategy is designed to relation adjacent successful low-connectivity areas by storing information offline and transmitting it erstwhile web connectivity is restored,” the authoritative added.

A cardinal information diagnostic of the task is the installation of astatine slightest 9 panic buttons per bus, 8 for passengers and 1 for the driver. According to officials, erstwhile pressed, these buttons volition instantly nonstop exigency alerts and unrecorded determination information to the CCS and the State backend, with SMS fallback successful the lack of mobile data.

Central Control Station

The Central Control Station, which volition beryllium located astatine the Mysuru Road Satellite Bus Station successful Bengaluru, volition relation arsenic the nervus centre of the VTMS. It volition facilitate unrecorded conveyance monitoring, mishap and breakdown management, rider accusation dissemination, telephone centre operations and information analytics for decision-making.

Passenger-friendly features

Meanwhile, the tender papers states that the projected VTMS volition see passenger-friendly features that let citizens to entree adjacent real-time accusation connected the determination and question of KSRTC buses.

Speaking to The Hindu, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “As portion of the Passenger Information System (PIS), commuters volition beryllium capable to presumption autobus positions connected integer GIS maps done web-based and mobile platforms. The strategy volition besides supply existent determination details connected demand, on with estimated accomplishment and departure times astatine autobus stops based connected unrecorded conveyance question data.”

In summation to online access, according to Mr. Reddy VTMS information volition beryllium integrated with aggregate rider accusation channels, including LED and LCD show boards astatine autobus stations, depots and autobus stops, arsenic good arsenic in-vehicle and at-station dependable announcement systems.