Now, track buses in real time through Namma BMTC app

After years of planning and months of preparation, the BMTC has finally launched a beta version of its mobile phone app that lets passengers track buses in real time, plan their journey and do much more.

However, it will be months before passengers can buy tickets on the Namma BMTC app. It is available on Android and iOS. The official launch will take a similar time.

Around 6,000 of the BMTC’s existing fleet of 6,800 buses will be part of the app. Of the remaining 800 buses, 400 will be scrapped. Only 400 of the 800 Volvo buses can be tracked on the app, a senior BMTC official said.

Passengers will get information about bus schedules and estimated arrival and departure times of buses. There is also an SOS button passengers can use to seek remote assistance during an emergency.

The Namma BMTC has been developed by a consortium of Manipal Cads and Technology Pvt Ltd and AMNEX. Manipal was the lead bidder while AMNEX was the technology partner.

The BMTC official said hardware challenges delayed the app’s January launch.

“We faced huge challenges on the hardware front and still do. But we have resolved most of them,” the official told DH. “We wanted to make sure the app worked well and showed accurate bus arrival times.”

This wasn’t possible without enough data and datasets. “The entire thing is based on Machine Learning. You won’t get accuracy if you don’t have enough data and datasets,” he stated. “The app is 95 per cent accurate now.”

The app was released on December 1, 2022, and underwent a mandatory trial run weeks later. The beta version was launched on April 18 and has seen hundreds of downloads.

Things to do on the app

1) The app gives you information about nearby bus stops, journey planners, estimated bus arrival times, route tracking and road maps, so you know where buses are in real time, as well as facilities around major bus stops. You can also track buses by their registration numbers.

2) There's also an SOS feature, which notifies your trusted contacts and the Emergency Response Team during an emergency.

3) Passengers can also buy the BMTC's daily and monthly passes. For this, the Namma BMTC app will provide an external link to the Tummoc app, which is run by a private company. In the future, the Tummoc app will be integrated into the Namma BMTC app.

BMTC tickets online

1) In about two months, passengers will be able to buy tickets on the Namma BMTC app. Work on adding this feature has already begun, an official said.

2) The fare calculator feature will be available in the future.