CM launches bus-tracking system
The Hindu, February 6, 2004

Stated to be the first of its kind in the country, the chief minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, inaugurated a state-of-the-art vehicle tracking and display of Real Time Passenger Information System (RTPIS) for a fleet of 75 Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses, covering inter-city and intra-city operations.

The system, based on GPS / GMS technologies, has been developed jointly by the APSRTC, CMC and the IT ministry of the union government. The new system has been introduced utilising information technology for enhancing passenger satisfaction and would enable accurate tracking of the movement of the buses and calculate the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) which would be displayed on electronic boards at various locations for the benefit of commuters.

It would also enable the drivers to relay instant messages regarding accidents and other distress situations, besides providing the seat vacancy position in buses at different stages to the Central Control Station in Hyderabad. Initially the project was being implemented on a pilot basis for online vehicle tracking for 26 Veera buses operating between Dilshukhnagar and Patancheru within the city and 49 hi-tech buses on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route. Electronic display boards had been installed to provide seat vacancy and arrival timings of incoming buses at 12 locations – six each for intercity and city services.

Launching the project, the chief minister advised the APSRTC to go in for modernisation, increased occupancy ratio and reduced establishment costs to stay in competition. Declaring that the state government was ready to extend help to the extent possible, he sought the cooperation of employees in providing better services to passengers.

He said that APSRTC had been permitted to float bonds to the extent of Rs 100 crores and said that the government would stand guarantee. He urged the corporation to extend the system of online tracking and real time passenger information system to all routes in the state in a time-bound manner.

Mr Naidu said that it was a matter for pride that APSRTC had bagged several awards and entered the Guinness Book records for having the largest bus fleet in the world.