- Will reduce revenue leaks, theft in buses and hassle in handling cash
- For use in trains, buses and other transportation modes
The long awaited and much needed e-ticket for public transportation finally seems to see the light of the day according to a minister who said the Government will be floating a tender for an electronic ticketing system for public transport soon.
The public clamour for an e-ticketing system has been going on for years alongside the numerous promises by successive governments to bring an end to the physical paper tickets which are obsolete in many countries.
Former transport ministry officials pledged last year that the e-ticketing system will be commissioned by the end of the year. However, the plan never saw the light of the day.
“The tender for the e-ticketing system will be finalised soon and hopefully the new ticketing system will be in operation thereafter,” Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne said.
The e-ticketing system is part of a broader effort by the government to digitise public transportation and reduce revenue leakages.
According to a former transportation minister conductors take home a portion of the money at the end of each day and this comes to around Rs. 10 million.
Bus operators make good money by not paying the balance to commuters when it is less than Rs. 5 throttling out excuses that they don’t have change money.
Having to pull out cash from wallets to purchase tickets when the bus is crowded is a cumbersome process. The safety of one’s money until he reaches his destination is also an issue as public transportation is replete with pickpockets.
e-tickets for transportation can be used for travel on trains, buses, or other public transport, eliminating the need for physical paper tickets. It could be accessed via a mobile phone or computer and can be presented at stations or on board for validation.
“Launching the e-tickets would be a big step in moving towards a digital economy, LankaPay CEO Channa De Silva said.
However, commuters say officials should stop talking and get into action and start the new ticketing system.
There has been enough talk about digitising the operation in public institutions. But still most public places such as police stations, register of motor vehicles, registration of person, immigration department and banks do have a lot of paper work.
“There has to be first a change of mindset to do things new. Sticking to old ways of doing things will not help the country to prosper,” said Francis Perera, a retired public servant.
As always there would be opposition to a new plan the e-ticketing system encountered stiff opposition on several occasion in the past from interested parties backed by politicians which delayed the system for many years.
Meanwhile plans are in place to introduce the Electronic National Identity Cards by April next year according to Deputy Minister Weeraratne.
The plan to digitise the ID process was launched in 2012, aiming to set up a digital ID system.
