With digital technology making everyday travel easier, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) will now provide smart cards to passengers holding monthly passes, making digital transactions more convenient and seamless. The chip-enabled cards will also be available for other passengers. Under the new system, the process of issuing Monthly Seasonal Tickets (MSTs) will be completely online.
Similar to metro cities, passengers will no longer need to get a new card issued every month and can simply recharge their existing smart cards. According to Jagran.com, the move is expected to bring major relief to students and working professionals. Around 106 Roadways buses currently operate from the Akbarpur depot to different cities.
Earlier, passengers had to visit the Roadways bus stand with their Aadhaar card, high school certificate, and photograph to apply for an MST. The lengthy process often caused inconvenience and wasted time. With the new system, commuters are expected to get significant relief.
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Conductors To Get New ETM Machines
Confirming the development, ARM Hariom Srivastava said that, similar to metro cities, passengers will now get an ATM card-like smart card facility. If sufficient balance is available on the card, the machine will automatically generate the ticket. Bus conductors will also be provided with upgraded Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) to verify monthly passes.
As soon as the conductor taps the card on the machine, it will instantly display whether the passenger’s MST is valid or invalid. Daily commuters will be issued smart MST cards. More than 50 school students and working professionals get Roadways passenger passes issued every month from the Akbarpur depot. Under the new arrangement, passengers will only need to recharge the card after it is issued once.