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Features

Right on Track

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DQI Bureau
New Update

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC),

which has been one of the very few transport corporations in India to make

continuous profit for seven years, now plans to invest Rs 90 crore over a

five-year period in a comprehensive passenger management system. When done, the

system will allow commuters to be updated about bus movements, much like the

arrival, departure and delay information displayed on an electronic railway

board at platforms.

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The

cost imperative-what BMTC will derive from GPS technology

Schedule Adherence



The trip related reports for every bus will enable BMTC to establish

as well as inculcate schedule discipline, which in turn will result in the

following advantages:

  • Better time management,

    resulting in effective utilization of the available fleet, attributing

    better revenue per bus

  • Effective crew timetable

    avoiding unnecessary overtime and extra duty charges

  • Pick-up and drop

    punctuality attracting more people to travel by BMTC buses,

    attributing more trip revenue

Control over Deviations



Route deviation, stoppage deviation, non stoppages at scheduled stops

etc. will be eliminated, resulting in:

  • Savings in fuel cost

  • Control over private

    operator buses

Traffic Load Analysis



The online and offline reports facilitate an overview of the position

of every bus, allowing BMTC to review the deployment and itinerary

strategy. This will result in:

  • Reschedule of timetable

    for a proper load balancing so that maximum buses move through the

    area of pick passenger traffic for getting maximum adavantages of

    revenue

  • Analysis of traffic jam

    situation, helping in rescheduling of bus timings to save fuel and

    trip time

Driving Pattern Analysis



Speed violation, extra stoppage time etc. type of report will help

BMTC in studying the driving patterns and behaviors of drivers

Billing Support



A mechanism can be devised at fuel filling station, which can be

linked with every bus data. BMTC will thus be able to calculate actual

KMPL-Kilometer per Liter using the distance traveled between successive

fuel filling.

he Passenger Information System or PIS, as it is being

called, though can only be implemented if the online GPS-based tracking and

communication solution, which BMTC currently uses in about 1,200 buses, are

deployed in every bus (it currently has a fleet of about 4,000).

The online GPS data helps it track vehicles every 10 seconds.

Once the position of a particular bus is located, the control room can compute

its expected time of arrival at the next bus stop. "Therefore, we would

display the bus arrival timing. Commuters can accordingly plan. This way, we

would be able to value our customer's time," the chief manager, MIS and

Systems of BMTC (the CIO), DC Prakash says.

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Besides time management, the system in future might also help

in the introduction of alternative e-ticketing systems — BMTC, for example,

has taken a cue from advanced countries where a self-issuing ticketing machine

allows one to swipe credit or debit cards for a ticket.

The other function, proposed to be linked with the online

GPS, is an Interactive Voice Response System. Just like people get responses

from pre-recorded information in the railways or at banks, BMTC will also

respond when information is sought over the phone on bus information, stop

information, availability etc.

The proposals have been sent to the government and a tender

would be floated soon after being okayed.

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Two companies currently provide GPS service to BMTC - Arya

Omni Talk Limited and MobiApps - while Mobi has a contract for 700 buses on BOOT

basis, Arya is providing the service for 500 vehicles. The solutions sought from

both the vendors are the same. Only the terms are different. "We pay

Rs.1,102 per vehicle as service charges to Arya per month. In turn, they provide

us with information pertaining to the vehicles it has provided tracking

solutions for every day. MobiApps, on the other hand, pays us an average money

of Rs 525 per vehicle per month. In return, they have been given an opportunity

to utilize the internal advertisement space in buses for mobilizing

revenue," Prakash informs.

Goutam Das

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