Change for better
People across Kashmir valley are being made to pay for no fault of theirs vis-à-vis the public transport system that is operating here since many decades now. The system is testing the people’s patience as it has escaped all attempts aimed at modernization.
The public transport system here can simply be termed as archaic. Not only are the approved vehicles unfit for public use but the way they have been maintained and are being allowed to run is simply pitiable.
What has worsened the situation is the callous attitude adopted by the government on this crucial issue. The state of affairs of the public transport system is reflected by the number of mishaps and road accidents that are taking place in the region.
Not only are the mishaps showing an increased trend with every passing day but the fatalities due to it are also increasing tremendously. Still the government fails to take some measures and officials are busy planning their next steps without any solution in sight.
However, after a much prolonged delay the government did wake up more than a year back to address the needs of the system as it was mulling a proposal to register public transport vehicles fitted with GPS system and panic buttons.
The transport department was also scheduled to roll out a process of setting up a radar surveillance system to monitor passenger vehicles when the GPS is fitted on them. A highly professional software was to be setup in Transport Commissioner’s office and was developed by Center for Developing Advanced computing under ‘Suraksha Mitra’ to track, locate and give real time data of vehicles.
Besides tamper proof- GPS system, name, age, address and contact number of all drivers along with photographs were to be displayed in the vehicles to ensure some safety and security among the passengers who have to frequently travel using the public transport.
Notably, the demand for the use of public transport is ever increasing as it is the people’s top choice as a mode of transportation as it offers flexibility and freedom to the commuters. It also helps people save money, ease traffic congestion, and even help reduce pollution levels.
The use of GPS in buses allows commuters to view the real-time location of the buses and the estimated time of arrival. Using the device’s live map tracking system, the authorities will be able to check whether the vehicles are on schedule. Traffic conditions can also be viewed on the map, allowing rerouting the buses in case it’s needed.
Another GPS tracker feature can help improve public transportation is the live alert feature. It will help the authorities to ensure the bus and the passenger’s safety. For instance, geo-fencing automatic alert will notify if the bus deviates from its pre-assigned route. Speed alert will also help in curbing rash driving and the driver can be alerted well in time and mishaps can be averted.
The GPS also ensure scientific management of the fleet as all its past activities including where it went to, at what time, at what speed did it travel, and how long it traveled or stayed at certain locations. This information can be used to analyze the performance of both the vehicles and the operators.
However, the proposal has been limited to papers alone as no such initiative has worked on ground.
KV Network
