VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) that is now offering services to the passengers like ticketing, reservation, tracking, and complaints through different applications will soon come out with a one-stop ticketing mobile application (app) for commuters convenience.

As per reports, the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways has given its approval for APSRTC to call for tenders for developing a Unified Ticketing Solution Application (UTSA), using cloud best technologies.In this context, RTC officials have started the tender process. The tenders will be filed on the 24th of this month. Earlier, the APSRTC had arranged a pre-bid meeting on the 8th of this month. After the tenders, RTC will conduct the reverse tendering process online.

A draft proposal to the State government explaining the functioning of the UTSA was sent and which also gave its approval for a Rs 30 Crore aid to the APSRTC for implementing the project.

This facility will be developed for passengers to reserve tickets in all categories of buses from the Palle Velugu rural buses to high-end buses. As of now, 39 per cent of passengers book their tickets through the Online Passenger Reservation System (OPRS) and through UTSA the APSRTC plans to increase the booking percentage to at least 60 per cent.

Booking a ticket through Dynamic QR Code

The RTC ticketing system will be made available through the APSRTC QR code, which is something that has not been done in the country so far. Advanced tickets reservation can be done where the commuter will receive the Dynamic QR code when booked. Just show the QR code to the e-pos (electronic point of sale) machine which will be located near the bus driver.

Tickets can be booked for long distance services or local services. Soon after the app is developed, e-POS machines will be utilised for generating tickets given by the banks against the existing Ticket Issuing Machines (TIMs).

Up to 60 lakh seats are available on a daily basis in the RTC. Of these, 1.40 lakh seats have online reservation facilities. With the implementation of the UTSA the bookings will increase by 15 times, which means about 20 lakh seats can be booked online.

"The Unified Ticketing Solution project is being implemented under the guidance of AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. It will be a very transparent form of ticketing policy. The RTC issues a total of 47 types of passes in different categories including the disabled, students, women, children, NGOs etc. Whether you want to get passes or make a ticket reservation or make a complaint, the same app will be available soon for the commuter, without having to use different websites. More services will be available and added in the near future to promote digital payments as well, said the Managing Director of APSRTC, RP Thakur.