MSRTC plans WhatsApp booking of ST bus seats within six months

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is taking another step towards making travel easier and more hi-tech for its passengers. The ST bus, known as the "Lal Pari" and called the lifeline of the state, is moving fully into the digital age. The corporation will soon introduce e-ticketing, real-time bus tracking and citizen services through WhatsApp.

The corporation's IT department has begun the official process, and the corporation has stressed implementing it within the next six months. Lakhs of people travel by ST bus every day, from villages to cities across the state. About 1 lakh of them are in the Nagpur division.

Passengers will not need to download a new app. On the ST's WhatsApp chatbot they will be able to search for a bus, choose a seat, pay online and get an e-ticket in moments. Payment can be made by credit card, debit card and net banking, and the e-ticket will arrive in a few seconds.

Keeping in mind the convenience of passengers in local and rural areas, the facility will be available in both Marathi and English. Almost every smartphone user in Maharashtra already has WhatsApp, so passengers in villages and cities alike will be able to book tickets easily.

The system will be linked to the corporation's vehicle tracking system. Passengers will therefore be able to see their bus's live location, its estimated arrival time and the details of vacant seats on WhatsApp from home.

Any complaint during the journey about the cleanliness of the bus, delays, or the driver or conductor can also be registered on WhatsApp. A unique tracking number will be issued as soon as a complaint is filed, allowing its status to be followed directly.

The base fare of the ticket will be credited directly to the ST corporation's account. Strict cyber security standards under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 will apply to protect passengers' data.

The corporation has estimated more than about 20.57 lakh successful ticket bookings through WhatsApp over the next 5 years. Several strategic and technical arrangements have been made to reach this target. The corporation expects that regular passengers will be drawn to the platform on their own, since information on where the bus has reached and when it will arrive will be available only on WhatsApp. Regular passengers will also be given special notifications and offers based on their preferred routes.

Online booking is currently available for ST buses, but there is no WhatsApp ticket booking yet. The corporation is working on the project. Once it is implemented, travel will become easier for passengers on a large scale. About 1 lakh people currently travel by ST bus every day in the Nagpur division.