The state Transport department has undertaken a series of measures to stop wasteful expenditure at various transport corporations, Suvendu Adhikari, the minister-in-charge of the department said on Wednesday.
While speaking at the inauguration of 'Patha Disha' app and smart cards for commuters of 700 state-run buses at the second campus of Transport Bhawan in Kasba, Adhikari assured that his department is working to make the transport system more transparent.
"Chief Minister has instructed us to transform the existing transport system into a smart, intelligent and transparent one. Following her order, the department has taken up various initiatives to make the system more consumer-friendly. Developing 'Patha Disha' is a part of the initiative," Adhikari said.
Patha Disha is a mobile application which commuters can download from Google Play store. Once the application is downloaded on smartphones, commuters will be able to know the location of various state-run buses.
Commuters standing at a particular bus stop will get to know the time of arrival of the next bus towards a particular destination. Information on the availability of seats will also be available on the application.
Trackers will be installed in buses, which will help the Transport department to monitor the location of the vehicles.
The department will also install CCTVs, GPS systems and panic buttons in various buses, Adhikari added. Initially, the service will be available in around 700 buses run by the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC). In addition to this, it also has plans to introduce the new application in buses operated by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) and South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) within a few months, the minister confirmed.
Adhikari has brought various organisations like Calcutta State Transport Corporation, Calcutta Tram Corporation, and West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation under WBTC, which not only helped them to reduce unnecessary financial burden but also has rendered in smoothening their operations.
The new application will be given free of cost to some private operators with financial assistance from the World Bank, whose contribution has made the scheme a success. Private buses might also follow the lead soon.
Adhikari also inaugurated smart cards of Rs 50, Rs 100, and others upto Rs 4,000, which the passengers can recharge while travelling in buses.
Smart cards have initially been introduced for five routes.