New Delhi: Delhi’s public bus network is set for a major technology upgrade, with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) planning to deploy an AI-enabled Bus Management System (BMS) to monitor more than 6,000 buses, their routes, drivers, trips and electric-bus charging cycles in real time.The system is aimed at improving the travel experience of nearly 40 lakh daily passengers by tracking bus movement, speed, trip duration and operational performance. It will generate alerts for overspeeding, GPS failure, route deviation, bus bunching, breakdowns, accidents and panic-button activation.DTC has invited bids for development, implementation, operation and maintenance of the platform, which will cover existing and future electric and CNG buses. BMS will integrate data from buses, depots, terminals, command-and-control centres and concessionaires.Officials said the system will receive real-time GPS feeds, vehicle data such as battery charge levels and odometer readings, charging information and onboard Intelligent Transport System (ITS) inputs, including CCTV cameras, panic buttons and two-way communication systems.An official said the platform would be used to predict bus arrival times and delays, optimise routes and schedules, improve crew deployment and allocate buses more efficiently.“For passengers, one of the visible changes could be more accurate information about when a bus will arrive. The system will analyse traffic and historical operating patterns to generate estimated arrival times and identify delays. It will also detect route deviations, trips that do not begin from the designated origin, missed stops and buses leaving depots early,” the official said.With electric buses now forming the bulk of DTC’s fleet, the system will also monitor charging operations, optimise energy consumption and fleet utilisation, and help predict battery degradation and maintenance requirements.The platform will analyse passenger boarding and alighting patterns, route-wise loads and peak-hour demand to identify overcrowded corridors and areas requiring additional services. Data from festivals and major events will also be used to forecast temporary spikes in demand.DTC currently operates 6,269 buses, including 4,519 electric buses and 1,750 CNG and other fuel-operated buses, across 52 depots. Officials said BMS would act as a central source of bus-related information and provide real-time service updates to platforms such as Delhi Transport Stack, One Delhi and ONDC.“It will also have to be scalable, secure and capable of integrating future buses, applications and transport technologies,” an official said.
