KSRTC testing contactless ticketing system

Nischith N. | NT

In an effort to protect the public and staff from the risk of Covid transmission, the government has directed its entire department to adopt a cashless mode of transactions

As a step in this direction, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will be introducing cashless transactions so that commuters can buy tickets through UPI-based e-wallets.

Though the Corporation has a system of booking online through its website through digital payments and real time gross settlement (RTGS), these facilities of cashless payments were missing on a daily basis. Now with this new QR Code it will also benefit commuters who buy weekly passes which will minimise the load on the daily cashbased ticketing system. These are some of the measures planned to limit the risk of commuters and BMTC staff from contracting Covid-19.

KSRTC Chief Traffic Manager (Operation) Prabhakar Reddy said, “As we are issuing the tickets through EVM, this new initiative of QR Code will be installed in the same EVM machine. Commuters just have to scan and buy the tickets. The whole system will be managed and monitored at the depot level through a virtual payment address. It was a long time demand and was delayed because of some reasons.”

According to the reports, software development is in the final stage and in a few days, all the buses operating under KSRTC will have QR code payment systems.

“Cashless system is a better way to get tickets, as Covid continues to be a threat and at the same time KSRTC is coming up with this initiative which is very helpful as it is safer and quicker. But the Corporation has to spread awareness, as it mainly operates in rural areas,” says Sandeep K, a regular Commuter.

The KSRTC will run a pilot of the project soon to see how the system can be improved and made more user-friendly. As it is claimed that corporations have a huge chunk of operations concentrated in rural areas, they cannot go completely cashless.

Another BMTC official said the system won’t be completely cashless. “But only if there is no other option, then tickets will be issued. We are waiting for the software to be developed by the service provider, once it is done and the ticketing system will be changed and commuters can get contact less tickets,” the official said.