BRTC launches smart card from Jan next

FE Report Commuters on Abdullahpur-Motijheel route will experience ticketless travelling from January next year on BRTC buses that is expected to cut the time and hassles of purchasing tickets from the counters. The government will introduce pre-paid 'smart credit' to replace the paper tickets. The cards, known as Information Technology Card (ITC) can be credited with certain amount of money. On boarding a bus the card has to be swiped in a 'reader' and later on while alighting the same procedure will have to be followed. The 'smart card reader' will instantly calculate the fare and deduct the amount from the total credit. If the credit is low, it can be re-charged from the counters. The ticketless travelling will be operated on a pilot-basis, BRTC officials said. Communications Ministry officials said the Japan Interntiaonal Cooperation Agency will provide the BRTC with 100 readers and 12,000 IC card or Smart Card as a grant. A JICA Dhaka office delegation led by Senior Representative Mayumi Endoh assured the ministry at a meeting Tuesday and informed that all the equipment will be arriving at Chittagong Port next month.