MTC starts trial run of real-time info on buses in Chennai, LED boards to go live soon
CHENNAI: Commuters in Chennai may soon know exactly when their bus will arrive, with the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) beginning trial runs of real-time passenger information on LED display boards installed across the city. The display boards are expected to go live from March. The LED boards are part of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aimed at developing an integrated transport management system for MTC buses, including an automatic vehicle location system and passenger information systems at bus stops and depots. As part of this project, LED boards are being installed at 500 bus stops and 65 bus stands and terminals. Three types of LED display boards are being installed two-line, four-line, and 10-line displays depending on the requirement of each location. According to official sources, the LED boards will provide real-time information linked to the GPS location of buses and the Chennai One mobile application. Onboard testing units have already been installed across the city. The GPS location of buses will be connected through the Integrated Command Centre at MTC, and the data will be transmitted to LED boards at bus stands. The initiative will provide commuters at bus stands with the exact waiting time for their expected bus services, an official said. After the mandatory testing phase, the systems reliability will be monitored, following which trial operations will commence. All the MTC buses will be covered under this scheme, added the official. Large 10-line display boards have been set up at 20 bus terminals, including Kilambakkam, Ambattur Estate, Tambaram, K K Nagar, T Nagar, Saidapet, CMBT, Perambur, Anna Square, and other locations. The two-line LED boards have been installed at bus stops, while four-line boards have been set up at smaller bus depots such as Korattur and other locations. The LED display boards will operate using SIM-based power and internet connectivity to provide real-time information. To support this initiative, around 3,000 MTC buses have already been equipped with vehicle tracking devices. Official sources said depot management software is also being introduced to improve crew scheduling and attendance tracking. Installation work, which began in December last year, has been completed at over 500 locations. S Ramacharan, a resident of Korattur, said there was no clear bus schedule at many locations. During non-peak hours, services from Korattur are limited. With this, we can now travel to the Padi bus stand and switch to another bus, he said.
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