Good response to cashless transactions in government buses in Salem division
The cashless transaction introduced by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) Salem division has evoked good response within a month from passengers as around ₹1 crore worth of cashless transactions were made.
Under the Salem Division of TNSTC, 1,900 buses are operated in Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri districts, and every day 14 lakh passengers are travelling in these buses. Likewise, on weekends and festival days, special buses were also operated by the division.
In March, after training was provided to the bus conductors on how to make cashless transactions through the UPI QR code, the system was introduced in the 1,900 buses in the Salem division. Within a month, around ₹1 crore worth of transactions were made in the government buses.
R. Tamilarasan, a computer engineer from Arisipalayam, said that earlier conductors struggled to give change for the tickets, especially during morning hours. In the long-distance buses, most of the people gave ₹500 notes for tickets and conductors struggled to give the balance change. But now, due to the cashless transactions by scanning the QR code displayed in the ticket machine, passengers easily pay the amount for the tickets and has reduced the quarrel between the conductors and passengers in buses, Mr. Tamilarasan added.
Officials attached to the TNSTC Salem division said that day by day, the number of passengers getting tickets through cashless transactions is increasing, especially in mofussil buses.
A sticker was pasted in every bus regarding the cashless transactions. To encourage the conductors, gifts were given to those who made more cashless transactions. Four conductors received gifts for doing more transactions in the first month. The cashless transactions were very poor in town buses, as the ticket fare is less in town buses and women avail free travel, officials added.
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