In a first,hi-tech buses set to roll out in Lucknow

Delhi-based Vayam Technologies will install these hi-tech systems in state-of-art buses by March 31 and trial of these services is likely to begin in the first week of April.

“Bluetooth-connected ETM and audio announcement systems in buses is being introduced first in Lucknow. No other city in India has these facilities for passengers,” said Sandeep Sharma,vice-president,Vayam Technologies.

Charbagh,Dubagga and Gomti Nagar bus stations have been identified as hotspots where servers are being set up and buildings being equipped with Wi-fi connectivity.

Eventually,these technologies are to be installed in all 1,310 state-of-art CNG buses that UPSRTC has acquired for a total of Rs 320 crore under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for seven mission cities in the state including Lucknow (300 buses),Kanpur (300 buses),Agra (200),Meerut (150 buses),Varanasi (150 buses),Allahabad (150 buses) and Mathura (60 buses). For the operation and management of these buses,Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) are being set up in these cities under the chairmanship of divisional commissioners concerned. Once such SPV,named Lucknow City Transport Service Limited (LCTCL),has already been set for the state capital.

“An integrated controller with GPS and GPRS,LED screen,voice announcement system and web cameras has been so far installed in 230 buses in Lucknow. Rest of the buses will be equipped with these devices by end of this month and trial will start in first week of April,” said Rahiv Chauhan,Managing Director of LCTCL.

Vayam Technologies has also to install GPS-connected LED display boards at 130 bus stoppages on 37 routes in Lucknow and similarly in other six cities. Once such display board has been placed at Charbagh bus station. “A training programme was started on March 18 at Gomti Nagar workshop to train about 528 bus conductors to operate bluetooth-connected ETMs,” said Ajit Singh,Assistant Regional Manager of Lucknow Mahanagar Parivahan Sewa.

A website of LCTCL, http://www.ctslko.org,has been created with features of “public login” and “official login”. The “public login” will enable people to track location of the nearest bus on a route,its expected arrival time and fare. People can also register their complaints here online and via Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS). “If any passengers calls on the IVRS number with a complaint,his complaint with voice would be recorded and control room will immediately ask the bus conductor and driver about it,” Chauhan said.

Using “official login”,LCTCL officials recently started online tracking of buses,their location,duration of stoppages and distance travelled in any period of time. Operational management,fleet management and revenue management are other features on this link. Sources said Government of India is bearing the cost of hardware and software required for these technologies while the UP government will look after the maintenance later.