Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Jan 30: Very soon, one need not spend hours waiting for city buses. One glance at the mobile will tell the current status of the bus and the public can leave their homes accordingly. There is no issue of giving or taking coins for the bus fare. Only a swipe of the prepaid recharge card is enough.
'Chalo App', an unique application that is used in Ola cabs is being introduced in the private buses that are run in the city, which will herald the digital ticketing technology in Mangaluru.
As a prelude to this facility, Global Positioning System (GPS) will be installed in 350 buses. In the month of February, Chalo ticket machine will be introduced on an experimental basis in five buses that ply on State bank - Mangaladevi route (Route no 27) and 16 buses of Route number 44, that serves the passengers of Ullal area.
What is 'Chalo App'?
This App works similarly like the App that is used in Ola cabs. This App will be connected to the GPS that will be installed in all the buses that ply in the city. When the person puts the route number or the name of the bus in the App, it will give the exact details of the bus like the current location of the respective bus and when it is going to reach the stop where the passenger intends to board it. At present, the 'Chalo App' is available in English, Marathi, Bengali and Malayalam languages. However, it is possible to add local languages as per the demand.
Discussion is also on to give the App a local name instead of 'Chalo' as per the information shared by Dilraj Alva, president of Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners association.
New ticket machine
With the introduction of the new system, the conductors of the buses will have digital machines of the size of mobile phones. In this machine there is provision for E-ticket and mobile tickets. The passengers can pay the bus fare by scanning the code on the ticket machine. There is no scope for argument between the conductor and the passengers with regards to the loose change that needs to be either given or taken. It is possible to get the ticket even before boarding the bus. There is provision also to know the ticket fare of the journey even before boarding the bus.
No room for illegal activity
As GPS is installed in every bus, there is no chance that a bus can divert its route. Certain bus conductors do not issue the ticket to the passengers and also collect more or less fare without giving the ticket. This causes loss either to the passenger or to the owner of the buses. In this system, the conductor is bound to provide the ticket to the passenger who has done online transaction. The ticket machine has an inbuilt camera. Any unlawful act will be caught on this camera.
Easy for daily pass
The availing of concession pass that is given to students, senior citizens and disabled persons will be made easier by the introduction of the new ticket machine. There is a unique system called 'Common Mobility Card' in the Chalo App. This is a smart card. If this card is recharged in advance, it can be used for travel in any of the buses.
It is apt that the city which is striving to become 'Smart City' is getting smarter in public transport system also.