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BMTC first ran a pilot test using 25 buses on busy routes 401K and 242B — both popular among visually impaired commuters.
Bngaluru: BMTC Rolls Out ‘OnBoard’ Tech To Help Visually Impaired Passengers Travel Freely.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has introduced an innovative assistive device called OnBoard to help visually impaired people identify and board the right bus without relying on others.
How It Works
The system comes in two parts — a small handheld remote for the user and a speaker-based unit fixed on the bus. When a bus approaches, the passenger presses the ‘Find’ button. This makes the bus speaker announce its route number out loud.
If it matches the desired route, the user presses the ‘Select’ button. This sends a signal to the driver and conductor, letting them know that someone nearby needs help getting on. The crew can then assist the passenger in boarding safely.
Successful Pilot and Expansion Plans
BMTC first tested the technology on 25 buses running on busy routes 401K and 242B. These routes are often used by people with vision impairments.
During the pilot phase, 500 commuters received training, and 25 of them tried the system regularly. Following positive feedback, BMTC has expanded OnBoard to 100 more buses and plans to equip 500 buses soon.
As per TOI, on Saturday, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy officially launched the initiative, celebrating the moment with several visually impaired passengers.
The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Continental Automotive Components India, IIT-Delhi, Raised Lines Foundation, and Enable India.
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c…Read More
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c… Read More
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