To promote cashless transactions for bus tickets, the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) launched UPI-based payments on a pilot basis on board its buses in Hubballi on Friday.
The initiative has been taken by the Managing Director of NWKRTC S. Bharat, who is keen on promoting cashless transactions in buses as it would be more convenient to commuters.
The service has been launched on a pilot basis for the buses of Moffusil Depot-3 of Hubballi Division starting Friday.
With the launch of the new service, the passengers will be able to purchase tickets by scanning the QR code and making UPI payment. The service has been launched based on feedback by the passengers on improving the bus services.
On Friday, the service was launched on board the Hubballi-Belagavi route at the new KSRTC bus station on Gokul Road.
Arvind Achar, Ashok Patil, Siddanagouda Patil, Vinayak, and others were the first among the passengers to use the cashless service.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Traffic Manager Rajes Huddar said that the UPI payments would resolve the problem faced by conductors while returning change during cash transactions. This apart, it would also save time, he said.
NWKRTC operates 4,359 schedules through 4,830 buses which cover on an average 15 lakh kilometres per day. With the launch of the Shakti scheme, the number of passengers travelling by NWKRTC buses has risen to over 24 lakh passengers, from 17.48 lakh passengers earlier.
Initially, the service has been launched in three buses of the Moffusil Depot-3 and subsequently it would be extended to other buses based on the response, Head of the IT Department and Public Relations Officer H. Ramanagoudar has said.
