The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has deployed Android-based Intelligent Ticket Issuing Machines (I-TIMs) in as many as 14 high-end buses of its various depots in Karimnagar region plying on different routes as part of a pilot project aimed at promoting cashless transactions.
In a step forward to give a fillip to cashless transactions, the public transport entity has supplied as many as 73 i TIMs to the Karimnagar region comprising a total of 10 bus depots under the ambitious pilot project in the first phase.
Of these, 14 devices equipped with mobile SIM cards have already been operationalised in several long-distance bus services under the limits of the Karimnagar-I, Karimnagar-II, Jagtial, Korutla, Metpally, Godavarikhani and Manthani bus depots, TSRTC sources said.
Sources added that these electronic devices are integrated with the Online Passenger Reservation System (OPRS). The gadgets enable the drivers to issue tickets to the passengers on board the buses, facilitating real-time updation of the ticket details in the OPRS.
The passenger friendly initiative allows the commuters to purchase tickets in the conventional cash payment as well as the digital payment modes through credit/debit cards in the buses in transit.
The pilot project, a key initiative towards accelerating the pace of digital transformation, is intended to further enhance transparency and efficiency in the ticket issuing system and ensure hassle-free journey for passengers, a TSRTC official said.
He said several TSRTC bus drivers are undergoing training in operation of the i TIMs in various batches. The remaining i TIMs will be operationalised to extend the cashless payment facility in more buses soon.
