Ahmedabad's BRTS snippets

In a move to go hi-tech, Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL), the governing body for BRTS services in the city, will have BRTS fleet management systems. For this, AJL is planning to issue work for the installation by December 8 and has called for tenders from operators who can install softwares and hardwares for the system. Installation will consist of automated fare collection system, GPS-based fleet monitoring system, vehicle scheduling and dispatch system, passenger information system and financial management systems. Besides this, AJL also plans to introduce real-time passenger information system. This will include a special mobile information service that would give updates on buses and the probable time they will reach a particular bus station. Apart from this, radio frequency identification (RFID) fare smart cards, called Mi-Fare cards, will be given to regular commuters on a paltry fee. However, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials are sceptical about issuing MiFare cards since they can be hacked. Quoting news and research papers from other countries which said that MiFare cards could be cloned, operators posted queries on AMC’s website. However, AMC does not have another alternative and has instead asked operator their suggestions. The BRTS fleet management system will function from a control room. The busmounted GPS system will provide onboard passenger count and the distance of their travel individually. A special website too is being made for online updates on BRTS timings. It will be directly connected to the fleet management systems of BRTS control room.The location of BRTS control room is yet to be decided. AMTS committee chairman Praveen Patel said that since GPS systems are being installed in AMTS buses, the control rooms for AMTS and BRTS should be integrated. “We haven’t come to a conclusion on the issue since AMTS buses will be feeders for the BRTS network. We are planning to provide space for control rooms at Victoria garden,” Patel said.