14-05-2025
TGSRTC's digital transactions still on first gear
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) began accepting Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions a couple of months ago, aiming to make ticketing convenient for passengers and to address the problem of small change. While the initial response has been encouraging, the payment method is yet to achieve widespread popularity, according to RTC officials.
According to official data, digital transactions now average 35,000 per day. Other digital payments for advance seat bookings account for another 14,000 transactions daily. Passengers scan the QR code on the Intelligent Ticket Issuing Machines (iTIMs), carried by conductors, following which the digital payment is processed and tickets issued.
With a city fleet of approximately 2,800 buses, TGSRTC has around 6,200 QR code-enabled iTIMS. A significant number of these are within the Greater Hyderabad Zone (GHZ), which includes the IT corridor in western Hyderabad.
However, despite a promising start, data indicates that digital payment adoption remains sluggish. While TGSRTC officials emphasise that the uptake is organic, digital transactions currently constitute a little over 10% of total ticketing in the GHZ. Another 20% is for advance reservations.
'We started accepting digital payments very recently. We want the adoption of digital payments to be organic. Once the system stabilises, we will certainly work on awareness and expansion of this mode of payment,' said TGSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director V.C. Sajjanar.
Occasional glitches
The payment process has been smooth and seamless. However, occasional glitches have been reported like delays in processing digital payments. A conductor on the 49M route — which connects Mehdipatnam and Secunderabad — spoke about slow processing at times, possibly due to weak network signals in certain areas. 'Sometimes, by the time the payment is processed, we are already at the next bus stop,' he remarked.
TGSRTC officials, however, attribute these issues to a recent UPI outage that disrupted digital payments across the country, an incident acknowledged by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
'Due to the recent UPI outage, some payment issues were raised. Otherwise, there are no significant problems with UPI payments,' Mr. Sajjanar clarified.
A transport researcher, while commending TGSRTC's move towards digital payments, suggested further measures to enhance adoption. He proposed installing static QR codes on panels inside buses, as seen in Bengaluru, to facilitate easier cashless payments, as an alternative to scanning the codes on iTIMS.
'Digital transactions have gained massive popularity elsewhere. It is only a matter of time before TGSRTC witnesses a substantial rise in such payments,' the transport expert observed.
