Africa-Press – Mauritius. The National Transport Corporation (NTC) launched, this afternoon, at Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis, the first phase of its Smart Bus Information System (S-BIS), with, among others, the introduction of intelligent electronic ticket machines.
The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; the General Manager of the NTC, Mr Rao Ramah; and other personalities, were present on that occasion.
The objective of the Smart Bus Information System (S-BIS) is not only to improve the operation, management, and service quality of the NTC, but also offer commuters efficient bus services. This first phase will be implemented during the months of July and August 2022.
It consists in the fitting of all buses with the relevant devices which will enable the operation of online ticketing with the new electronic ticket machines, and the line tracking of buses.
During this phase, the cloud software with a real time data and live ticket monitoring will be deployed, while smart cards for passengers, free employee’s passes and message to passengers on tickets will be tested.
In his address, Minister Ganoo commended the NTC for this innovation, highlighting that the Corporation was setting the pace in the transport sector, and would surely inspire other bus operators to strive to improve their services.
He affirmed that the NTC had reached a new stage of development by leveraging technologies and modern applications, and was thus fulfilling its role of first public carrier in Mauritius.
As the Minister welcomed the promising trend from the NTC Management in enhancing its efficiency and service-delivery, he urged other bus operators to follow suit in trying to respond effectively to the aspirations, demands and needs of passengers.
He recalled that the Corporation had also run an electric bus pilot project since February 2021 and that the prospects were positive, giving 70% energy savings cost compared with the diesel buses. The measures put in place by the Government in line with the comprehensive plan to better transport services were also underlined by Mr Ganoo.
These include the forthcoming fleet management system by the National Land Transport Authority; the provision of Rs 2 billion in the Budget 2022-2023 for the procurement of 200 electric buses; and the setting-up of a disciplinary committee chaired by a lawyer to sanction bus drivers and conductors who do not abide by the adequate regulations.
The Minister added that the mechanism for the allocation of funds to procure the electric buses was being worked out. For his part, the NTC General Manager detailed the operation and advantages of the new intelligent electronic ticket machines, equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS), and General Packet Radio Services capabilities.
The devices are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connected, with an intelligent data concentrator, and use a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) card. The data are sent and stored in a cloud interface, easily accessible by the NTC staff for live monitoring, as well as analysis of data to enhance the level of operation and service.
According to Mr Ramah, the system would enable the NTC to make an estimated savings of Rs 200 m over four years through the reduction of fuel consumption, pilferage and dead mileage.
He indicated that 12 devices were already being operated on a pilot basis, and stressed that this data-driven approach would provide better controls and increase efficiency.
The NTC General Manager moreover informed that Phase 2 of the project, which would set into motion the use of a passenger information system through a mobile application that would show, among others, seats availability, would be initiated in September 2022.
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