Latest news with #DakshinaKannadaBusOwners'Association
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
KSRTC takes lead while private buses lag in adopting UPI payments
While the KSRTC in Mangaluru Division has enabled UPI-based ticket fare payment in its buses through handheld electronic devices, the private buses have lagged though the devices are in place in private buses for the last three years. KSRTC Mangaluru Divisional Controller Rajesh Shetty told The Hindu that the KSRTC has introduced UPI-based payments in all its buses, including those operating on the 533 routes under Mangaluru division, six months ago. Of the 533 routes covered, 53 routes pertain to Mangaluru city. Using the handheld device, the bus conductor types the origin and destination of the commuter, which leads to the generation of a dynamic QR code. The commuter scans and makes the payment using different payment apps. On completion of the payment to the account of KSRTC Mangaluru Depot, the device generates the ticket. 'Our conductors are quite relieved with the QR-based payment system as there is no need to return the change (cash) to travellers'Rajesh ShettyKSRTC Mangaluru Divisional Controller 'Our conductors are quite relieved with the QR-based payment system as there is no need to return the change (cash) to travellers,' Mr. Shetty said. Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners' Association tied up with Mumbai-based bus transport technology company, 'Chalo', for issuing e-tickets and tracking the movement of buses. As part of it, 'Chalo' issued electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) to 490 private buses, including 300 city buses, operating from Mangaluru three years ago. A 'Chalo' executive who overlooks operations of ETMs said that of the 490 buses, only around 60 buses are making use of the ETMs. All the buses on Route No. 27 from State Bank of India to Mangaladevi Temple, buses to Kuppepadavu and a few other routes are making use of ETMs. Sudheendra, a resident of Jeppu, said only a few conductors on Route No. 27 buses accept payment through UPI and on some routes, the conductors take payment on their mobile phones instead of the ETMs. Mangaluru Regional Transport Officer Shridhar Mallad said that since a month, random checks are being done on the city routes and cases are being registered if tickets are not issued. 'We want buses to issue tickets—using ETMs or any other mode is left to the operators.' President of Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners' Association Aziz Parthippady said bus operators will be convinced to introduce UPI-based payment in all buses.
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Even three years after launch, people not able to track movement of city buses using Mangaluru Smart City app
The Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL)'s 'smart transport' feature on the 'Mangaluru Smart City' app has remained dysfunctional and people are unable to track movement of about 300 odd city buses. The MSCL launched its app in April 2021, which also had a 'smart transport' feature (a section in the app), among other features, to help people track the movement of city buses. This feature was incorporated in the app shortly after 'Chalo app', launched by Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners' Association in association with a mobility firm, failed to serve the purpose as buses kept their GPS devices off while on the city roads. 'Initially GPS feed of nearly 200 buses was made available to the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) of the MSCL. The feed came down to 60 buses three months ago. Now we are getting the feed of only 30 buses,' an MSCL official told The Hindu. But when searched by clicking on the 'smart transport' section, either on the basis of destination or by bus route number, list of buses with route number appears with a note 'trip not started'. When reluctance of bus operators to share the GPS feed of their buses with the ICCL of MSCL was raised in the district Road Transport Authority meeting on November 5, 2024, the Deputy Commissioner M. P. Mullai Muhilan said not sharing GPS feed will be considered as an offence. While stating that 'smart transport' feature will be fully functional from the end of November 2024, the Deputy Commissioner said the 'smart transport' feature will help district administration to rationalise city bus routes. Despite the instruction by the Deputy Commissioner, the city bus operators are not sharing GPS feed with the MSCL. Shridhar K. Mallad, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Mangaluru who is member-secretary of District Road Transport Authority, said he will pursue matter with the city bus owners. Without telling the reasons for not sharing the GPS data with MSCL, President of Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners' Association, Aziz Parthpady, told The Hindu: 'We will sort out the issues involved to enable people to track the movement of buses on the app.'
