Dhanus Tech signs pact with Kerala Bus Operators

Thiruvananthapuram: Commuters travelling on private buses in Kerala will soon have access to real-time information on bus schedules through Dhanus Technologies’ FleeTrac vehicle tracking system.

The Chennai-based Dhanus Technologies Ltd has signed agreements with the All Kerala Bus Operators Organisation and the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation to offer satellite-based passenger information systems on investment over 25,000 private buses operated by the two organisations in Kerala.

Announcing this at a press conference in the city today, Mr V. Narayanaswamy, Managing Director, Dhanus Technologies Ltd said that FleeTrac will provide real-time scheduling information such as location of buses, arrival and departure times of buses on different routes, time to specific destinations and so on.

Travellers can access such information either by logging onto a Web site set up by the bus operators or through SMS. This information will also be exhibited within buses and on display boards at major bus stations.

The company is also exploring the possibility of installing similar passenger information systems in buses owned by State governments, Mr Narayanaswamy said. The Andhra Pradesh government and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation are among the organisations that have expressed an interest in FleeTrac, he added.

Installing the FleeTrac system will involve an investment of approximately Rs 75,000 per bus, he said. However, the company does not plan to charge bus operators for this. Instead, it is looking at recovering its investments by selling advertisement space on the buses.

The company will start rolling-out the system by the middle of May. It will initially install the system in a few buses in each district of Kerala and will slowly expand its coverage.