BENGALURU: The BMTC’s ambitious plan to introduce smart cards for passengers for cashless bus-travel is unlikely to meet the September deadline. BMTC officials say that they will able to launch the facility only this year end or from January next year because the project has run into some hurdles. “We are analysing all aspects before launching the smart-card facility as this is the first of its kind in the country,” says a senior BMTC official. “We are now planning to roll out this facility in few schedules in one depot, in two months, on a pilot basis. The expansion of the facility to other depots will be based on the feedback we get from staff and passengers.”
In June this year, BMTC and Axis Bank had unveiled ‘Axis Bank BMTC Smart Card’ which allows cashless payment for passengers by tapping the card on the electronic ticketing machines (ETMs). It was then decided to make the smart card available for public from September.
But BMTC won’t be able to meet that deadline. “We have to train the staff,” says the BMTC official.
The proposed smart card will help BMTC track the passenger revenue and will also allow passengers to pay for purchase at shops and malls. Commuters will be able to recharge the card at BMTC bus depots, Bengaluru One, Axis Bank ATMs and also through the internet.
Many BMTC users say the proposed smart card would be a relief for them and conductors, because they often fight over change. “We’re often short of coins,” says K Sathish Kumar, a regular passenger from Koramangala.
The BMTC is also in talks with BMRCL to come up with a common mobility card. “We are hoping to launch a single smart card which could be used in BMTC buses and the Metro by the end of next year”, the official says.