KSRTC has developed an App with the help of Infosys that runs on Android enabled smart phones providing real time information not only about the arrival and departure of city buses, but also their present location.
The Android application most likely to be named 'MITRA' (Mysore Intelligent TRAnspport which in Kannada means 'friend') is scheduled to be launched in July. Officials are planning to get the App launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Infosys in the city to inaugurate the 'Smart City', though it has not been finalised yet.
The app will help for live tracking of movement of all the 440 buses ply in the city every day. Nearly 3.5 lakh commuters travel everyday in bus and with smartphones becoming popular a majority of the commuters are expected to benefit by this service.
Due to the erratic arrival and departure schedule of public transport system most of them were using their private vehicles for commuting. The launch of app could herald a new trend, by attracting non commuters, techies, specially youngsters, to switch over to public transport.
The app is of immense help to tourists and other new comers to the city. By using the search engine provided in the App, they can identify their current location and can find the buses enroute based on the destination they have to reach.
The app will even benefit a large number of commuters, as they can plan their journey accordingly. The commuters from city bus stand can make use of the free wifi facility being provided for three hours for each number every day.
The KSRTC officials who claimed the app is first of its kind in country operating efficiency in this level, said that the major advantage of the app is that it gives dynamic service with live tracking of buses.
'The service is of great help in case of accidents and traffic jams during major festivals and events like Dasara, when the onboard GPS sends the status update every ten seconds to the control room, automatically updating its current location very precisely. With this the commuters will come to know the exact time of arrival of bus to their boarding point.'
'We have studied different mobile applications already implemented in the West and have chosen the best possible one suited for our needs. The soon to be launched app, will be very useful in improving the efficiency of public transport as it can reach people a large number of people,' said the officers, who dont wished to be named.
Around 350 messages and 350 voice call inquiries are received by the Intelligence Transport System server per day related to schedule of bus. Those who do not have access to smart phones and send an SMS to 98700 11012 or call toll free 18004255220 and get more details about the bus service.
Know how the app works
The app works on GPS data beamed from the bus, helps commuters for live tracking of buses and accordingly they can schedule their visit to the bus stand. The user can also get detailed information of all the routes of the buses, tracked in real time using GPS.
The list of buses that passes across that route will be displayed along with the timings of their arrival and departure. With this, they can immediately know about the next scheduled arrival of the bus and its number. Through control room the buses location will be monitored.
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