KMT yet to begin e-ticketing system

KOLHAPUR: Five years after announcement, the Kolhapur Municipal Transport (KMT) is yet to implement its e-ticketing system and issue smart cards to passengers travelling regularly.
The KMT administration had sanctioned Rs 40 lakh to roll out the e-ticketing system and provide RFID-based smart cards.
Recently, the KMT administration floated the tender for buying computers, printers, card readers and smart cards.
The decision to issue the smart cards to passengers such as students and regular period pass holder passengers was taken to avoid misuse and also attract passengers.
A senior KMT official, requesting anonymity, said, “We have requested quotations from the suppliers. We are implementing the system for the first time and have no idea about the process of e-ticketing. Recently, we had meeting with experts in the field and discussed at length about the working of the model. We are going to buy high-end devices to make the plan successful.”
The passengers are required to carry RFID cards to be issued by the KMT while travelling.
The passenger will have a unique ID stored in the card and the database of the system and the fare is calculated automatically with the help of hand held RFID card reader.
The KMT authorities claim that the system will reduce human errors and efforts. A ticket will be issued which will have the details of the fare charged, routes, time required and distance travelled.
“We are going to appoint a private firm to operate the system for three years. We will also train our staff to carry out the technical staff related to e-ticketing,” said the official.
The KMT has decided to offer 15% discount on tickets if booked through mobile application.
Also, the decision was taken for increasing the validity of the regular passes given to the senior citizens from one year to five years. The senior citizens can get the smart cards at Rs 150.