Digitised bus tickets make debut

The two digitalised BRTC bus counters.Photo: STAR

The city's bus services are digitalising the ticketing system, which many believe is a step forward towards the much-talked-about term “Digital Bangladesh.”
Introducing first of its kind in the city, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has begun selling digitised tickets at two of its bus counters in Motijheel and Farmgate.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) has a plan to introduce a common digital ticket system for all city bus services to ease the chaotic situation in ticket selling. It is also planning to introduce a prepaid card system replacing manual paper tickets.
The usual scene at BRTC's Volvo counters at Motijheel and Farmgate has changed. Now the passengers do not have to flock around the conductor on the footpath for a ticket. Instead, enthusiastic commuters were seen queuing up near the glass-covered counter.
Within a week of its debut on January 12, the two counters with touch screen monitors gained huge popularity among the commuters.
Officials from BRTC told Star City that the two counters have been set up on an experimental basis with technical support from Bright Tech BD Ltd.
BRTC Chairman Shafiz Uddin Ahmed said, “With the help of these counters we are trying to study feasibility of introducing digital ticketing system in Dhaka, and also to find out whether it is cost effective in Bangladeshi context.”
“Bus companies often face financial loss as manual ticketing involves many type of errors and problems in cash handling, pilferage and irregularities. This can be prevented with the digital system having records of total ticket sales and the amount of money transacted, and even the time of selling a ticket,” he explained.
BRTC officials hope that the computerised system with Japanese technology will help provide hassle-free faster service to the commuters. The bus operators will be able to prevent their loss due to irregularities. The ticketing information will be automatically uploaded in BRTC web page making the entire process transparent.
The system will be introduced gradually in all BRTC counters and then by other bus services depending on its success.
Abu Bakar Md Shahjahan, executive director of DTCB, said, “We are planning to bring the whole transport network of the capital city under a common ticketing system in phases. As test run the BRTC is operating the digital ticketing.”
Shahjahan added, “We have already spoke with the other stakeholders and put forward a proposal to the communications ministry.”
Dialogue is currently going on with private bus companies operating on Uttara-Azimpur route to introduce a common franchise first as a test run. BRTC with its Volvo fleet will also take part in the scheme. If the test run succeeds, then steps will be taken to introduce a common ticketing card for all buses, he mentioned.
Under the proposed common ticket system, commuters will be able to use the same prepaid smart card to board buses of different operators that use the same Japanese technology. The buses will have card reader machines. With simple push of buttons the machine will charge the cardholder for the trip from the rechargeable prepaid card.
The transparent system and hassle-free service will attract more investors in the bus service sector, Shahjahan hoped. This will also bring an end to the street competition among the operators to get passengers, he added.
Other than the state-run BRTC, several private city bus companies are now planning to introduce digitalised ticketing system. The companies include Rajdhani, Kalmilata, Transilva, My Line and Mega City.