Now track Kerala private buses via Internet, SMS

[unni]

The over 20,000 private buses in the State will in a year be equipped with a tracking system, aimed at helping owners monitor the movement of their buses. Passengers too would benefit, since they would be able to know details such as when a particular bus or buses in a specific route would conduct service, where the bus has reached at a given time and the time it would take to reach the destination. For this, they need to just send an SMS to a number or browse a site that would be dedicated for the purpose, claimed the promoters.
A LED display screen placed in the bus would display in English and Malayalam details such as the next stop, the distance and time that would take to reach their destination and so on.
The screen could also be used to display advertisements, said A. Sudhindra, executive chairman of Dhanus Technologies Limited, a Chennai-based company, while addressing mediapersons here on Sunday announced the launch of the real-time passenger-information system.
The company has tied up with the Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation for the novel venture. Fleetrac, an integrated tracking and communication service for vehicles, would be put to use for the purpose.
“Bus owners will also be able to identify speeding, route diversion and schedule cancellation. It will help the operators to check wastage and to optimise their fleet operations,” he said.
Shobha Applied DSP Private Limited and Kochi-based Kiran Technologies are the other partners in the venture.
Mr. Sudhindra said that it would cost Rs.30,000 to Rs.50,000 to install the system in a bus. “Neither bus owners nor passengers need to pay extra for the facility. We plan to begin the project this year. The service provider concerned will fix the rate for sending SMS,” he said
Lawrence Babu, general secretary of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation, said that the system will revolutionalise the public transport sector in the State, by making good use of satellite technology.

Source: *www.thehindu.com/2008/03/31/stories/2008033154100500.htm

Also in *www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=53556

Not sure whether this has been posted here already.

 

[Cyrus_the_virus]

A LED display screen placed in the bus would display in English and Malayalam details such as the next stop, the distance and time that would take to reach their destination and so on.

KSRTC buses? seriously? well I guess then they better these details to the display board as well:

'when the driver is going to slam the brakes',
'when he's going to fly over bumps',
'when he's going to weave across lanes like a madman',
'how much longer he's going to keep his foot on the damn gas pedal on the NH which cause the damn vibration tickling you upto the fluid inside your ears'..

ahem.. I guess then they won't have any place for passengers, all this display information will take up the entire space.

If it's private buses, then it will be filled with display information eg: 'when is the driver going to stop in the middle of the road and scream through his window at another bus driver who has stopped his bus also in the middle of the road and screaming back through his window.

 

[din]

@unni

Thanks for the info.

@Cyrus_the_virus

No, it is not KSRTC, this is for private buses.

I saw the news in today's newspaper but not much info as the post here.

 

[x3060]

well as if its actually gonna be implemented . . first thing will be a strike against it . . .

 

[praka123]

haha! private buses carrying this thing?not anytime near!

GPRS on KSRTC buses where rumored for years now.I am hearing it from 2004 atleast

 

[kumarmohit]

They tried this in Delhi on DTC!
The damned GPS module made regular beeps some ppl thot the bus has a time bomb (too much movies effect)

Needless to say the whole thing failed as anything!

 

[praka123]

^LOL!even ppl are scarier here hearing the speed governor sound(beeeeep) on KSRTC buses

 

[x3060]

this will just evaporate in gods own country

 

[dOm1naTOr]

KSRTC must atleast get a cleaner on each bus stands to clean off the windshields for least, forget GPS.