KSRTC will soon launch a mobile app that provides detailed information of mofussil bus services to commuters. The officials hope with the implementation of app the public transport will be more popular among the daily commuters and also immensely benefit tourists, as now one can be sure for the definite time of arrival and departure of buses instead of needlessly waiting for hours at bus stops.
The new app will work on hand held smart phones which makes it easily accessible anytime anywhere. This initiative will help in attracting non commuters towards public transport from private transport, and there by the KSRTC aims to reduce pollution save fuel and bring down traffic density on roads.
Students from local Engineering colleges have been brought in to develop the application. The features include displaying of arrival and departure times of buses, route taken and also journey time. Any delays or cancellations are easily notified and the approximate time of delay in minutes will be flashed. It is easy to download, install and operate.
With 450 buses operating daily on various routes within the city limits, the need for such an app was felt badly to make the services of KSRTC more effective in reaching the common man.
Anybody wanting to avail the bus services can simply download the app on his smart phone, and can get all the relevant information about his travel within the city like even identifying the nearest bus-stop from his location to catch a bus for his destination. Distance to be travelled, and timings, including the stop they have to alight. In case if driver is taken route deviation can also be trapped with the use of app.
If everything goes as per the plan, by March the mobile application will be launched. Workshop for engineering students will be held in February, and they will be informed about the requirements to develop the app. The present app is based on an earlier version named 'Mithra', an web based application.
KSRTC Mysore division Divisional Controller Ramamurthy said: 'The initiative helps to attract tourists, as well as non commuters towards public transport. The web based technology was not easily accessible to public. With the use of smart phone app, more people, including youngsters and officials will give up using private vehicles and turn to public transport as in some of the developed countries in the West.'
KSRTC Divisional Traffic Officer Maqsood Ahmed said: 'From last eight months we have worked hard to track the real time of buses. The initiative will be first of its kind in Country. After conducting a survey of commuters and non commuters, based on the three major reason why the non commuters remain far from bus service the app has been developed. The reasons were lack of reliability, comfortless because of over crowd, and waiting for buses for their arrival without any information.'
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