Private buses in Kerala will soon be tracked through global positioning system (GPS)

Private buses in Kerala will soon be tracked through global positioning system (GPS) and passengers will get all the information they need virtually on their fingertips.

The Kerala State Bus Operators Federation, with a fleet of 20,000 buses plying across the southern state, has hired fleet management services provider Dhanus to install the automatic vehicle locator and asset protection system.

Both passengers and service operators will be able to track buses on a specific route, its timings and other details on their computers or on mobile handsets using a web-interface or a mobile WAP interface.

Within a year, the entire fleet of the KBOF will be equipped with the tracking system that helps monitor the buses constantly by sending real time information.

When a bus meets with an accident, a message is sent automatically.
“With this initiative, transport owners in Kerala will be able to provide passengers with instant information on the location, arrival and departure timings of every bus via the Internet and SMS,” A D Sudhindra, executive chairman of Dhanus Technologies, said.

A gadget costing Rs30,000 is installed on bus which can then be trackeded via satellite and the information about the vehicle can be made available in almost all Indian languages.

“Close to 85% of the buses in the state are operated by KBOF members and this initiative will ensure that both regular passengers and tourists have accurate bus schedule information on their finger tips,” KBOA president A K Abdullah said.

“This technology would be a boon for passengers and operators who will benefit from the real time tracking information system. It’ll also help us make the operations cost-effective,” Abdullah said.

It even allows the operators to monitor the fuel tank.
An LED display screen placed in the bus would display in English and Malayalam details such as the next stop and the distance and time that would take to reach the destination.

“It will be extremely useful at times of breakdowns and accidents. It also helps increase passenger safety by keeping a check on the speed. Dhanus would be offering a web interface in Malayalam, Hindi and English, enabling access to both natives and foreigners,” Abdullah said.

The bus operators also expect to generate additional revenue by allowing advertisers to reach their target customers through static and dynamic advertising content, including audio visual elements which can be displayed in the buses.


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