Currently, the technology has been installed on about 600 buses as a pilot project.
Posted Date – 10:56 PM, Sunday – 12/4/22
Hyderabad: Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is poised to achieve another milestone, the expansion of intelligent ticketing machines (i-TIMs), an Android-based technology, to all buses in its fleet.
Currently, the technology has been installed on about 600 buses as a pilot project. TSRTC officials said the state-run road transport company is taking appropriate steps to introduce the smart ticket vending system on all city buses and other similar services as soon as possible.
This will allow passengers to book tickets up to 15 minutes before departure. Passengers can pay via UPI, cash, credit and debit cards, the official added. Bus arrival and departure times will also be provided to passengers, with i-TIMs supported by Online Passenger Reservation System (OPRS) software. This enables bus drivers to issue tickets and update details in real time as well.
The company has already installed the technology in some bus services, including those operating under the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). With the success of the trial run, it has now decided to extend it to all buses in the state.
“The smart TIM is integrated with OPRS, enabling drivers to issue tickets on the bus and update ticket details in OPRS in real-time. The technology supports simultaneous online booking, TSRTC agent counter booking, and driver ticketing on the bus,” said a TSRTC official. officials said.
I-TIM enables passengers to obtain tickets by paying with cash or credit and debit cards and NCMC (National Universal Mobile Card) cards. According to TRA officials, this strategy not only saves time for passengers, but also lets them know in advance how many seats are left on the bus.
In order to provide better and more complete services to passengers and tourists, TSRTC also plans to launch smart cards after the new system is implemented and in place.
