Working on the principle of Oyster card in London, the West Bengal government has launched a new transport card which will enable commuters to swipe and pay fares on all state-run buses, trams and ferries in the city. Metro service is not included in the cards for now.
In London, the Oyster card is used for all public transport, including the Tube.
Currently, the card is on sale at five locations in Kolkata with a plan to make them available at 20 locations in the city. West Bengal Transport Card is being supported by Korea Green Growth Trust Fund and the World Bank.
The state government has also launched a smart phone app called ‘Patha Disha’ which enables the commuters to get real-time information on the location of the city buses, availability of seats and time taken to reach the destination. Additional information on how crowded the bus is can also be retrieved through the app. In a case of a mishap,
police, hospitals, fire stations and other agencies will get an alert so assistance can be rushed to the spot.
Keeping in mind the safety of women passengers, the state transport department has also decided to install GPS, CCTVs and a panic button in all the buses.
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