Digital luggage lockers launched at Hubballi bus station

Pic: Digital luggage locker system installed at Hubballi Central bus stationHubballi: The NWKRTC has introduced a digital luggage locker system at the Hubballi Central bus station and it is first of its kind initiative in bus stations of NWKRTC. For the convenience of the passengers, the NWKRTC authorities have installed the locker system, and a private company has installed the lockers.Installed as a three-month pilot project at the Hubballi Gokul Road Central bus station, the system aims to ensure safety and convenience for travellers' belongings. The facility allows passengers to securely store luggage.Sources said that the central bus station has a luggage room facility, but it remained idle for several months as no contractor came forward to operate the luggage room when the tender was floated. The absence of the facility has caused inconvenience to many passengers as they have to carry their luggage with them even for short-distance travel. Finally, the authorities have roped in the service of a private company involved in offering a digital luggage locker facility and introduced the facility on a trial basis for three months.Vinod Ammanagi, depot manager, Hubballi, told TOI that the private company has installed 19 digital luggage lockers, which include large, extra-large, and medium lockers. All the lockers are digitally operated, and there is no need for any manual service."Users are to provide their mobile number, and then they get OTP. Following further instructions, users have to choose the locker size depending on their luggage hours. All they have to do is make the online payment only. There are two options available in the system - first is to open and keep, and another one is open and check out option," he said. For 6 hours' service, the company charges Rs 40, 60, and 90 for medium, large, and extra-large lockers respectively.Many passengers are now using this facility since its launch at the central bus station. We have temporarily deputed a person to help passengers make use of this facility, and once people get acquainted with using this facility, there will be no one to monitor.Passengers expressed that earlier we had to carry our luggage with us since we had no luggage room option, but it is now helping us a lot, and demanded that the number of lockers should be increased and this facility should be extended to all important bus stations in the region.H Ramangouder, divisional controller, NWKRTC, Hubballi, said that the facility may be extended to other stations if it gets a positive response. Now, many passengers are using it, and we will take feedback from the passengers and then make a decision to extend it to other stations after consulting with our higher officers.