BMTC back to paper tickets as ETMs hit by snags

Nischith N. | NT

Bengaluru, Jan. 30 Though the government has taken various measures to curb the spread of novel coronavirus, bus transport utility BMTC is nowhere close to introducing safe options such as contactless ticketing system.

The passengers still have to buy paper tickets as the transport provider’s plans to introduce the Electronic Ticketing Machine (ETM), a hand-held device used by conductors to issue tickets, have hit technical snags. This leaves both passengers and conductors vulnerable to the virus as it involves issuing paper tickets and cash transactions.

The new strain of Covid- 19 Omicron is said to be highly contagious and can overcome vaccine resistance. However, it is less severe than the earlier Delta strain, and rarely requires hospitalization and oxygen support. The city has been badly ravaged by the virus as part of the ongoing third wave, and it accounts for a major chunk of coronavirus cases in the state.

The printing press run by KSRTC has been supplying tickets for the BMTC for years. However, when BMTC introduced the ETMs, it had scaled down on orders. But, due to various issues faced by the ETMs, the city transporter has reverted back to printing of tickets.

“We were told that there is no supply of ETMs and they asked us to issue printed tickets. Manual ticketing takes much more time compared with ETMs, as we have to make the entry after issuing the ticket. Also, being a conductor sometimes we are asked to go for new routes and manual ticketing becomes a problem” said Girish, a BMTC conductor.

If the conductor is not familiar with the route, he may go wrong while fixing fare prices for passengers, whereas ETMs are pre-coded to calculate the ticket price and also print both boarding and deboarding place on the ticket itself.

Under the contract, the vendor, Trimax IT Infrastructure and Services, a Mumbai-based company, had provided 10,498 handheld ETMs that were used by conductors while issuing tickets. BMTC had later placed a further order of 40%, as there was a shortage.

However Trimax ran into huge debts and this had an adverse impact on the after sales service of ETMs. With many devices waiting to be rectified, the BMTC had to go back to issuing paper tickets.

“We have taken up the issue with the vendor for resolution, but nothing has been solved. So the tender for the new service provider has been invited and in a few days it will be awarded. ETMs will be back for the services,” says a BMTC senior official requesting anonymity.