Banning online booking for private buses not a feasible idea, say experts

BENGALURU: A day after Transport Minister H M Revanna hinted at banning the online booking of tickets for private bus services, experts say if implemented, it will prove to be a major embarrassment for the state government. It will be nearly impossible for the government to ban the online sale of tickets for private buses, they add. “There is no legal way of doing so under the current Motor Vehicles Act. It will only cause inconvenience to passengers.

The government must ensure new provisions before they ban private players from selling tickets online,” says K G Ravindra, member of managing council, All India Motor Transport Congress. “With major bus booking aggregators like redBus.in tracing their origin to Karnataka, the state has always been at the forefront in providing online tickets to passengers. As the market size has increased manifold of late, the state government just cannot ban the sale of online tickets, only to help KSRTC get more passengers,” adds an employee associated with a private bus service operator. “The transport department alone cannot take a unilateral decision in this regard,” the employee added.

The move is also likely to draw the ire of regular bus travellers. “If they provide good services and have seats available, why would anyone want to pay more and use private buses? The KSRTC buses run full during the festive season and on weekends. Passengers also find private players’ online booking facility friendly. Banning this would affect many passengers,” said Nachiket B M, who regularly travels between Bengaluru and Hyderabad. KSRTC is one of the pioneers when it comes to online bus seat bookings. Its Anywhere Any Time Advanced Reservation System (AWATAR) system contributes to over 60% of revenue. “With such a robust system in place, it is surprising that the government is planning to ban online booking for private operators,” said a passenger.

Messages on wheels

Buses of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will soon be used for promoting Karnataka’s heritage and culture. These buses will sport messages from some of the state’s most revered poets, litterateurs and cultural ambassadors inside. Transport Minister H M Revanna had announced this on Wednesday during a Kannada Rajyotsava function. Eventually, the idea will be implemented by other transport corporations as well, including the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, said senior officials. Around 26 lakh passengers use KSRTC buses everyday to commute to several destinations within and outside Karnataka. “This will help the travellers from other states get familiar with the rich cultural history of Karnataka,” Revanna said.

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