TGSRTC embarks on digital ticket payments pilot in Hyderabad
Paying for a trip on the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation can be as easy as a swipe or a scan, with the public transit powerhouse implementing a pilot project at two of its depots for this purpose.
According to TGSRTC officials, the passenger-friendly initiative involves iTIMs (intelligent ticket issuing machines) dispensing tickets to travellers, and will accept payments by means of unified payments interface (UPI), including debit and credit cards, as well as scanning QR codes. Each iTIM will require to be connected to the Internet so that transactions are processed.
The project is being implemented at the Dilsukhnagar Depot which has around 90 and the Bandlaguda Bus Depot, which as about 70 buses. The move is intended to make it easy for both customers to make payments and for conductors to receive them.
“Apart from making it easier for the customer to pay for the ticket, using iTIMs can solve the small change problem. For example, if a passenger pays ₹100 or even ₹500 for a ₹30 ticket, say early in the morning when buses make their first trips, it is likely to cause delays. The conductor will take time to pay back the change. Making payments through iTIMs will make it easier for both the customer and conductor,” said TGSRTC Executive Director (Greater Hyderabad Zone) V Venkateshwarlu.
The per-unit cost of each iTIM is significantly higher than a regular TIM. This notwithstanding, another TGSRTC official said, has given priority to convenience of customers. The pilot project which began a fortnight ago, is being implemented across buses, which include city ordinary, in both depots. TGSRTC has been training it staff in using iTIMs.
The transport juggernaut intends to analyse data from iTIMs, and understand patterns that emerge, to better understand the needs of passengers and improve service delivery.
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Telangana
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road transport