NEC Corporation India To Pioneer Intelligent Transportation System In UPSRTC Buses

Aiming at transforming public transport in Uttar Pradesh, an ambitious project funded by Nirbhaya Fund envisaging live tracking of buses through Intelligent Transportation System has gained traction.

NEC Corporation India (NEC India) has been selected as the master integrator by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC).

A subsidiary of NEC Corporation Japan, NEC India announced on Monday (6 August) that it has been selected as the master system integrator by UPSRTC for the Vehicle Location Tracking-Passenger Information System (VLT-PSIS) project under the Nirbhaya fund of the Government of India.

The project is aimed at resolving the critical issue of safety in buses and enhancing the overall travel experience of passengers traveling in UPSRTC buses through advanced cutting-edge technologies, such as live tracking of buses in an Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC).

Under the project, AIS 140-based Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) devices and emergency safety buttons will be installed across the majority of UPSRTC buses along with tracking of its entire fleet on the Uttar Pradesh state tracking platform.

Large display screens will also be installed in around 100 major bus stations across the state to provide up-to-date real-time information to passengers.

Alongside the implementation of a well-equipped state-of-the-art ICCC solution at UPSRTC headquarters in Lucknow, 20 regional viewing centers will also be established in regional headquarters of the UPSRTC.

The scope of the project also includes setting up of a cloud platform to host and deploy various software applications, including a Fleet Management System, Route Management System, and Passenger Information System which will support the monitoring of the bus fleet, optimising its routes and offering real-time information to support safety and a more personalized experience for passengers through a mobile app.

"The government has been working tirelessly over the last few years to create more advanced, smart, digitally-enabled, and above all, safe conditions. This project by UPSRTC is a significant extension of this effort, wherein we envision making public transport in Uttar Pradesh not only comfortable, convenient, and efficient, but safe for all members of the community,” said Yajuvendra Kumar, General Manager (IT) UPSRTC.

"Out of the bids that we received, NEC India was the most experienced and competitive. As a leader in Integrated Transportation Systems, NEC India has successfully implemented many similar bus projects in India and the Middle East. We are excited to partner with NEC for this ambitious project and look forward to a successful launch of services,” he added.

Talking about the project, Pankaj Bhatia, General Manager (Transportation Business), NEC India said, “As India makes huge strides in becoming a digitally enabled nation, it is crucial that our transport systems also become more equitable and smarter with time. At NEC, our endeavor has always been to make the lives of citizens safer and smarter through our cutting-edge technology solutions".

"We are extremely proud to be among the few solutions providers who are working towards this goal of digitally transforming the transportation sector in India. We are humbled by the trust placed by UPSRTC upon us to carry out this prestigious project. Given the domain expertise we have amassed over the years, from having deployed similar projects in other cities, both domestic and global, we are confident that we will be able to replicate similar success to UPSRTC as well”.

NEC has already implemented similar large-scale projects across cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat and Hubballi Dharwad in India, as well as Makkah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Mowasalat (Qatar) in the Middle East, establishing its domain expertise throughout international markets.