Bengaluru: Students applying for bus passes had a terrible experience last year, with complaints of software glitches in the new online application system, wrong information entered and non-cooperation from several educational institutions. This year, however, BMTC has learned from its mistakes and has established 92 centres at 26 locations, for the convenience of the students.
Majestic bus stand has 12 counters, with eight each at Vijayanagara and Shantinagar traffic and transit management centres. Counters have also been set up at major TTMCs and BMTC will also issue smart cards to students from technical and medical colleges through Bangalore One centres, a facility introduced in 2019.
According to a BMTC senior official, "We have learnt from our mistakes. Many students complained of being forced to skip classes and queue up for the smart card passes, as these counters are closed on Sundays and general holidays. This year, to ensure seamless distribution and reduce wait time, counters will be opened at various points. We have tested the software several times. We are involving officials at the depot level to attend to grievances of students. They can also write to us or contact our call centres to raise their concerns."
According to the reports this academic year, the Corporation will provide smart cards to nearly 4 lakh students, though a majority are renewals. They can file their applications online and once these are accepted by BMTC, students can go to any of the centres to get a new pass or renew an old one after paying the required amount.
The BMTC has set up a tentative timeline for issuance of cards. The application process for students from classes one to ten, pre-university as well as those studying in special schools will begin in the first week of June. Students of degree and professional colleges can apply from the first week of July. For those in technical and medical colleges, the process will begin in August.
