When Antony Varghese and Jayadeep N R boarded KSRTC’s Thiruvalla-Bangalore super deluxe bus on Sunday, the major aim was to enjoy the luxury of the new super deluxe bus introduced by the Corporation. They had no intention of doing anything unusual till the idea of providing a free wi-fi service to their fellow passengers suddenly sparked in them.
“We went to Bangalore only to travel in the super-deluxe bus. The idea of providing a free wi-fi service popped up spontaneously and we made it practical in the return journey. The response from the passengers was very good when they came to know about it,” Antony said.
The service was provided by inserting Antony’s BSNL 3G SIM into Jayadeep’s Android phone and using it as hotspot. The network was named as “Thiruvalla Deluxe” and the password was given as “I love my KSRTC”.
On the return journey, the conductor announced that they will be provided with free wi-fi service. Many passengers were able to enjoy the free service through their mobile phones and the initiative received a great feedback.
“It is not at all an expensive affair. You can set up the service in the bus with an initial cost of Rs 7000 and a monthly expense of Rs 500. Free wi-fi is made available in the Volvo buses in states like Gujarat. Now the state is planning to buy new Volvo multi-axle buses and it would be a great time to introduce services like this,” he added.
Antony is working as a web developer and Jayadeep as a software developer in Kochi. Antony is a member of the team “ksrtcblog”, a popular blog by a group of youngsters about the Corporation.
“Being associated with ksrtcblog, we have come across a number of officials in the Corporation. We are planning to approach them and make a proposal for the project,” he said.
“The Corporation is always open to suggestions. Recently, the team that executed the smart card service in the private buses in Kochi approached us. We had taken the proposal in a very positive manner and asked them to submit a detailed project. KSRTC has a pro-technology approach. Attempts by these youngsters are highly appreciated and they would be welcome to discuss such initiatives with the Corporation,” said M T Sukumaran, Executive Director (Technical) of KSRTC.
Meanwhile, the staff of the Thiruvalla- Bangalore super deluxe bus have made an offer that they will install the service and make it accessible to the passengers at weekends at their own expense.
Source: New Indian Express
