BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will finally install an emergency button on its MyBMTC app under the Nirbhaya scheme for women’s safety and will also revamp its system to live-track buses. On Monday, the BMTC closed the window for firms to submit bids for the for the app and hopes to complete the award of the tender by June 15 and have the SOS button up and running by the end of the month.
Commuters have been complaining about the defunct live-tracking feature since bus services resumed after lockdown restrictions were lifted recently. Officials said that it is due to change in routes and lesser frequency of buses that the app was on hold for a week.
“The tender on the map feature expired and hence we called for fresh tenders to bring in new features,” Santosh explained. C Shikha, BMTC MD, told TNIE that routes were modified last week due to night the curfew and changes in dynamics. “We will get back to normal as the situation is stabilising now.” The BMTC will also soon call for tenders to procure Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs). The machines, which are android-based, will include QR code scanners which can access debit/credit cards and cash wallets.
According to K Santosh Babu, director (Information & Technology), BMTC, the machines are likely to be in use only by July or August. With the last year’s budget, BMTC also plans on bringing in 2,147 diesel buses and lease out another 390 electric buses. But, the buses will only start operations by next year, sources said.