CHENNAI: In an attempt to reduce the commissions they pay to private booking platforms and also reduce costs for passengers, several omni bus owners’ associations in Tamil Nadu came together to develop their own online ticket booking platform ‘Roamie’ which went live on Sunday.
Roamie, which is available as a website (roamie.co.in) as well as a mobile application, currently offers services by more than 100 state-based operators running around 1,000 buses.
Passengers can use the platform to compare fares, routes, departure timings, bus types and seat facilities offered by different operators before booking.
Operators, on the other hand, can manage their routes, schedules, seat availability and reservations through a single interface. The operators say lower commission costs could also help them offer tickets at reasonable fares.
The platform is integrated with the Open Network for Digital Commerce, a union government initiative, a release from the operators stated.
The platform is expected to help smaller operators, particularly those in Coimbatore and western Tamil Nadu, tap passengers beyond their existing customer base.
Office-bearers of the Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Owners Association, All Omni Bus Owners Association, All Omni Bus Owners and Operators Association and the Coimbatore Omni Bus Owners Association attended the launch at Koyambedu in Chennai.
Over 6,000 omni buses are said to be catering to more than 2.5 lakh passengers across Tamil Nadu daily.
