To strengthen its service levels and improve its service delivery the corporation embarked on a scheme for passenger centric Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) in 2013-14. UPSRTC is the pioneer State Transport Corporation, which has undertaken a comprehensive project of this nature. The project implementation time period was April 2013-June 2014 – and the period of contract is valid till May 2019. Total capital cost incurred: Rs 38.25 crore.

Challenges

There was manual ticketing system through denominations tickets, etc., manual reconciliation of revenue – and no facilities for ticket status tracking, advance reservation and public information system. Also, there was no method to monitor the state run buses on regularity and punctuality, unauthorised halts, overspeeding and unscheduled operations.

Solution

• Electronic Ticketing: Web-based online tickets and advance reservations, mobile based ticketing, current counter tickets, use of hand held point of sales machines (ETMs) for on-board tickets and introduction of Smart Card Travel Cards & Passes.
• GPS Based Vehicle Tracking: Real-time tracking of all moving buses for operations control, arrival & departure information and disaster management.
• Passenger information system: Real-time updates about the buses’ arrival & departures; journey planner; LCD displays at bus stations; automatic announcement systems; SMS based enquiry and IVRS.

Implementation

• Online Reservation System (ORS):
  • Implemented with a payment gateway to ensure that ticket revenue goes to UPSRTC bank account directly.
  • Available for popular Volvo & High End Services, Goldline and even ordinary services.
  • Sub-contracts for ticketing by leading 3rd party websites.
• Counter Ticketing: Around 200 counters for current booking and MST counters have been set up in all the Regions.
• Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs): 11,153 new GPRS ETMs supplied and implemented in all regions.
• Vehicle Tracking System: Installed on more than 8,000 buses.
• Central and Regional Control Centers: Control room design & MPLS connectivity done at regional offices & Head Office.
• Passenger Information System (PIS): Around 200 LCD screens (40”) and automated passenger announcement system set up at various bus stations in UP.
• Data Center set up at Mumbai and Disaster Recovery Center at Bangalore with requisite infrastructure.
• 24×7 call center service (18001802877) for help/grievance redressal of users of ticketing setup at Head Office.

Outcomes

• Booking can be done from corporation website or Makemytrip, Redbus, Travelyaari, Hermes-it and Busindia.
• 150 counters at bus stations across the state that guarantee a seat.
• For on-board tickets ETMs are used and the digitised data goes to Corporation servers in real time via GPRS.
• Passengers can make payment online using netbanking, debit or credit cards.
• Enablement of auto digitisation of revenue data and easy reconciliation.
• Reduction in manual work, staff cost on ticketing and accounting, revenue and fuel pilferage.
• Savings in cost: Online ticket booking commission @3.45 per cent being paid as per earlier contract.
• Revenue Potential:
  • TP roll free – ticketing cost zero – advertisement revenue from reverse of TP Rolls.
  • Smart card registration charge @R50 per smart card comes to UPSRTC to make itself sustainable.
• Advertisement revenue from 350 LCDs at bus stations for public information.