Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is preparing to bring its entire fleet under high-tech surveillance by installing Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) in all its buses and establishing a dedicated command centre for real-time monitoring.

The initiative is aimed at improving the monitoring of bus operations and providing officials with real-time information about the movement and routes of KSRTC buses across Karnataka.

VLTDs to be installed in all buses

The Union government has directed that Vehicle Location Tracking Devices be installed in vehicles providing public services.

The requirement applies to both private and government vehicles operating public services. KSRTC is consequently working towards equipping its complete fleet with the prescribed tracking technology.

KSRTC currently operates 6,063 buses. Of these, VLTDs have already been installed in 2,344 buses.

The corporation is now taking steps to install the devices in the remaining 3,743 buses, according to the information available.

Once the installation process is completed, the corporation will have a comprehensive digital system for monitoring the movement of its buses.

System to provide real-time information

The VLTD system will enable KSRTC to track buses while they are operating on different routes.

The technology will provide information about the routes being operated by individual buses and allow officials to monitor their movement.

Real-time tracking is expected to make it easier for the corporation to identify the location of buses and keep track of their operations.

The system can also provide officials with a clearer picture of bus movements across different routes, helping improve oversight of the corporation’s large fleet.

For a transport organisation operating thousands of buses across the state, access to centralised information could make monitoring operations more efficient.

Dedicated command centre planned

Alongside the installation of VLTDs, KSRTC is planning to establish a dedicated command centre to collate and monitor the information generated by the tracking system.

The command centre will serve as a central facility for accessing information from buses equipped with VLTDs.

The tender process for establishing the facility has already been initiated.

Once the command centre becomes operational, KSRTC officials will be able to access information about buses in real time from a central location.

The move is expected to strengthen the corporation’s ability to monitor its fleet and keep a closer watch on bus operations.

Monitoring of fleet to improve

The combination of VLTD-equipped buses and a central command centre is expected to provide KSRTC with greater visibility over its fleet.

At present, tracking information is being made available through devices installed in a portion of the buses.

Expanding the system to the remaining 3,743 buses will allow a much larger share of the fleet to be monitored digitally.

The command centre will bring the information together, allowing officials to observe the movement of buses and the routes being operated.

This could help the corporation respond more effectively to operational issues and improve oversight of services.

Technology-driven transport management

The move is part of the broader shift towards technology-based monitoring of public transport services.

For a large state-run bus corporation, real-time location information can provide useful operational data and make it easier to supervise buses working across different routes and regions.

The tracking system can also help officials maintain better information about the location and movement of buses while they are in service.

The command centre will provide a centralised mechanism for monitoring this information rather than requiring officials to rely on separate sources.

3,743 buses remain to be covered

With 2,344 of KSRTC’s 6,063 buses already fitted with VLTDs, the corporation has completed tracking-device installation in a significant portion of its fleet.

However, 3,743 buses still need to be equipped with the devices.

The corporation is now moving ahead with the installation process to meet the requirement applicable to public service vehicles.

The completion of the project will give KSRTC a common tracking framework covering its entire fleet.

The next major step will be the establishment of the dedicated command centre, for which the tendering process has already begun.

Command centre to centralise information

Once operational, the proposed command centre is expected to become the central point for monitoring the corporation’s buses.

Officials will be able to access real-time information generated by the VLTDs and keep track of buses while they are operating.

The system is intended to provide a more organised approach to fleet monitoring and enable closer supervision of bus movements.

As the installation of tracking devices progresses, KSRTC will move towards a fully connected fleet in which buses can be monitored through a centralised digital platform.

The initiative is expected to strengthen fleet oversight and support more technology-driven management of KSRTC’s bus operations across Karnataka.