GPS tracking of Indore buses likely soon

Indore City Transport Service (ICTSL) will soon introduce the global positioning system (GPS) for an online bus tracking system (OBTS) to offer better facilities to commuters in the city.

It would be the first time in India that GPS is being installed to track public transport buses. ICTSL held a pre-bid conference for the project on Thursday. While the technical bids for the project would be opened on 27 March, the financial bids would be opened on 29 March.

ICTSL is planning a control room for OBTS, and every bus would have a GPS-based tracking device installed with online data transfer facility. The idea is to initally flash the estimated time of arrival at 50 bus stops.

Other uses being planned include schedule and itinerary adherence, log of the exact distance travelled by the bus, punctuality and improvement of driving pattern, control over unauthorised and unscheduled stoppages, better analysis and migration to passenger information system.