The implementation of the new gen Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETM)’s which were supposed to be introduced in buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) before Onam is getting delayed.
The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) controlled ETM’s, which is being introduced in the KSRTC for the first time is expected to be a major boost for the Corporation as the management will be able to monitor the operations of the buses through a single server at Thiruvananthapuram.
Information on each and every ticket disbursal through the ETM’s, the arrival and departure of the buses from a certain location, the reservations available and used on long distance buses and the frequency of services will also be available.
As per plan, 4000 ETM’s will be distributed to each and every depot in the state. A few of them have already arrived at the chief office at Thiruvananthapuram.
“We had expected to kick off the project last week. However, the delay in installing the server as well as compiling of data online for proper monitoring and usage of ETM’s is taking time. The company which is distributing the ETM’s are also responsible for data compilation. We hope to implement it next week,” the officials said.
The centralised server alone costs Rs 2 crore. Since the KSRTC does not have the funds to install the server currently, the company have installed a temporary server on their own.
“We will make use of the server for some time. Once we receive all the ETM’s and the operations of the machines become full fledged, we will install our own server. Currently, new machines will be distributed only in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. Later, it will be distributed to all depots in the state,” an official who is responsible for the implementation of the project told ‘Express’. The cost of each ETM is `9,500.
Meanwhile, Kerala State Road Transport Employees’ Association, affiliated to the CITU, said that the management has to introduce new Electronic Ticketing Machines immediately.
“Most of the existing ETM’s are broken and are out of use. Conductors are making use of the old racks which were used before the introduction of automatic ETM’s for disbursing tickets. Most of them are refusing to take up double duty because it is difficult to do their duty using the old system as they have only been trained to operate new ETM’s,” a member said.
Since the corporation’s management has entrusted the task of implementation of the new gen ticketing machines to a new company, the other companies whose ETMs were earlier being used by the KSRTC has refused to repair the old ones, putting the KSRTC in a qunadary.
Source: New Indian Express
