Govt plans unified fare collection for state's four bus corporations

Bengaluru: Karnataka is introducing a smart ticketing system for unified fare collection across its four state transport undertakings — KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC. The system will be integrated with Namma Metro, suburban railway and other public transport systems. The state is also introducing chip-based smart cards for bus passengers, covering both fare-paying and free-travel passengers (Shakti scheme beneficiaries).  The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has invited requests for proposals (RFPs) to select a system integrator for the smart ticketing and smart card ecosystem. October 28 is the last date for bid submission. Technical bids will open on October 30 and financial bids on November 6.Fare collection in STUs is handled through separate electronic ticketing machines (ETMs), with no common fare medium or transaction record.The new system will introduce a single, contactless and interoperable fare collection and entitlement verification system for both fare-paying and free-travel passengers.A central clearing house (CCH) will settle value between the corporations through a common pool escrow account, according to the tender document. The system will also attribute fare revenue and free journeys to the respective STUs and settle balances through a common pool escrow account, while reducing cash handling and reconciliation and complying with national common mobility card requirements.Karnataka set to increase bus fares in less than two years: Byrathi SureshIt will enable per-journey verification of Shakti scheme eligibility and generate an auditable, timestamped record identifying the STU, route, service, depot and location.A reimbursement engine will calculate Shakti claims based on any methodology adopted by the government. The four STUs operate 26,054 buses and record 1.2 crore boardings daily, including 75.68 lakh Shakti scheme journeys.Between June 2023 and July 2026, they spent Rs 20,956 crore on the scheme and were reimbursed only Rs 15,305 crore, leaving dues of Rs 5,651 crore. "The difference is contested less on arithmetic than on the basis of claim, and the absence of a verifiable per-journey record is central to that dispute," the document noted. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said smart cards would make the free bus travel scheme "more effective". "There have been reports of women from other states also availing themselves of free bus travel. To prevent this and restrict the scheme to women from Karnataka, while making their travel more efficient, the smart card system is being introduced," he said. The smart cards will be issued to one crore women in the first phase within two months, he added. 

Source: Deccan Herald