PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Transport department is developing a smartphone application to make the public transport experience more convenient in Dehradun. The app will enable people to track buses, Vikrams and other vehicles and see their estimated time of arrival at their stop and identify which route is appropriate for their journey, the regional transport officer (Administration) of Dehradun division Sandeep Saini said.
He informed that the department decided to create the app after receiving feedback from the RTO staff after they were asked to travel via public transport. Saini stated that the staff reported to him that they did not know when buses or Vikrams would arrive or which routes they followed. The department then decided to develop a platform similar to the Smart City bus app, which is already in use by many passengers.
He said that over 700 public transport vehicles operate in Dehradun city and the department plans to equip them with GPS. He said that once the GPS installation is complete, buses, Vikrams and mini buses will be integrated into the app. “Passengers will be able to track their buses and Vikrams and see their routes via the app. This is expected to make their journeys more convenient. Young people, in particular, may find the app helpful. This also aims to encourage locals to use public transport more,” he added.
