TSRTC's New Initiatives: Smart Cards for Women and Cashless Payments

Bus commuters in Telangana often face the problem of not having exact change for tickets. Notices in bold red letters in every bus request passengers to provide the exact fare. Conductors usually note the owed change on the back of the ticket if passengers do not have the exact amount. To address this issue, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is introducing new i-TIMs (Intelligent Ticket Issuing Machines) to facilitate cashless payments. These devices will support online payments via UPI, debit, and credit cards, allowing passengers to pay the exact fare instantly.

Currently, these i-TIMs are being tested on buses running on routes such as Bandlaguda and Dilsukhnagar. TSRTC officials have stated that city buses will adopt this system next month, with rural buses across the state following in September. Each i-TIM device is being purchased for ₹9,200 plus GST.

Smart Cards for Women Passengers

Following the implementation of the 'Mahalakshmi' scheme, there has been a significant increase in the number of female passengers on TSRTC buses. Conductors currently issue zero-fare tickets to women who present their Aadhaar cards. Soon, smart cards will be issued to women, which they can swipe to obtain zero-fare tickets for their bus journeys.