VIJAYAWADA: To encourage cashless transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has decided to introduce a mobile phone-based passenger ticket generating system.
According to RTC sources, the higher authorities have convened a pre-bid meeting with the representatives of 92 software companies and discussed the latest technologies available for introducing a hassle-free mobile-based passenger ticket generating system.
As part of the initiative, officials have conducted a preliminary survey on Machilipatnam and Avanigadda route to encourage cashless transactions. Buoyed by the response from passengers, the higher authorities have decided to introduce the cashless transaction facility in a phased manner on various routes across the State. Earlier, the corporation had announced to launch ‘Pratham’ mobile app from August 1. However, due to various reasons, the project got shelved and officials have decided to come up with a mobile application for ticket generation.
A senior official, on condition of anonymity, told TNIE that at present 39 per cent of the tickets are being generated to the passengers through online facility and the remaining 61 per cent offline, including those at the reservation counters operated at the bus stations across the State. “With the new initiative, we are planning to reduce offline transactions with the passengers.
Through the proposed mobile application, the RTC employees can generate tickets from their own devices, validate and check the tickets. The software company representatives participated in the pre-bid meeting have expressed their interest to develop a mobile application with the features proposed by the corporation,” he said, adding that the mobile application is likely to be launched from January 2021.Tenders in this regard were likely to be invited by the officials by this week.