The Kerala state road transport corporation (KSRTC) will soon adopt intelligent transport system (ITS) to improve its bus operations. The present schedules will be analyzed and revised in the system. The project aims to prevent speeding and bunching of buses.
An IT wing will be trained for the project to manage the control room. The system will function through GPS system installed in KSRTC buses. The project will be finalized at KSRTC board meeting. Utilizing the available IT facilities KSRTC plans a total makeover with the ITS. The project is planned to be implemented in the next six months. It is being prepared by KSRTC in two divisions by developing infrastructure and by training the staff.
According to KSRTC chairman and managing director M G Rajamanickam, the basic infrastructure facilities are available with the corporation and only the IT facilities need to be developed for the project.
“It is a comprehensive development project. Keltron has conducted a technical study regarding the project and we had discussed the project with the transport secretary,” said Rajamanickam.
As per the project, the control room of KSRTC will be upgraded to smart system where the fleet movement can be analyzed in a smart screen and through that required revisions will be made in the schedules. It will be implemented through the GPS system installed in KSRTC buses. In the first phase, the GPS system will be installed in 750 buses. A team of KSRTC officials will be trained to manage it.
Automatic fare collection facility using smart cards through automated ticket vending machine (ATVM) will be made available in buses. The machines will be installed with GPRS system, which will be linked to the GPS device of the bus and control room to track the movement of bus. KSRTC plans to procure these ATVMs through ticket-based model investment by total service providers (TSPs). KSRTC will invite tenders from TSPs to procure around 6,000 such machines required for its fleet.
“The corporation have human resource to manage the IT facility and they just need to be given training in the new system,” added Rajamanickam.
