JOIN USSoon BMTC volvo buses with Wi-Fi facility will have stickers to distinguish them from the rest.
Presently, 60 BMTC buses offer Wi-Fi facility to commuters at no extra charge, but many commuters who would want to utilise the service while commuting, cannot identify these buses from the outside.
As per the proposal, another 140 buses will soon be enabled with Wi-Fi services on major IT/BT routes such as ITPL, Hebbal-Silk Board, besides Vayu Vajra buses going towards Kempe Gowda International Airport.
Interestingly, the corporation is not spending even a penny to provide Wi-Fi facility on its buses. As per a tender floated last year, companies/firms were invited to instal LEDs/LCDs for advertisements at the back of the passengers’ seats, driver’s seat, head rest, etc, in the bus with video and audio facility.
The agencies had to mandatorily provide free Wi-Fi connectivity in the bus. The tender was allotted for a period of five years which is extendable for a maximum of three years.
Kumar Pushkar, director (IT), BMTC, told Deccan Herald, “ Already installation of wi-fi and LCDs/LEDs has been completed on 60 buses. Out of the total 200 buses which will be provided with Wi-Fi facility in the first lot, 67 are on the KIA route from various destinations. The remaining buses will be have Wi-Fi by December-end. It will also be available on the Hop-On Ho-Off service of the BMTC,” he informed.
Pushkar said that while the response so far has been good from commuters, a lot depends on the long-term stability which will decide the future of this technology in BMTC buses, including non-AC ordinary buses.