After a failed attempt last year, the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) has relaunched its online service to issue bus passes to students. From now, the application process for student passes will be completely online, and no physical application forms will be available, says Deepak N, Public Relations Officer at BMTC.

The ‘smart card’ bus pass issued online, would have the photograph and name of the student, along with a unique identification number encrypted into an electronic chip. The chip will also have data on the bus route taken by the student to and from school, and validity of the card.

What’s new this time?

Unlike last year, BMTC will not deliver bus passes to students’ addresses by post this time. Instead, the passes will be distributed from 90 counters in 26 locations, mainly bus stations and TTMCs (Traffic and Transit Management Centres), across the city. Students can take an appointment to collect their passes from a desired centre at a desired time, using the ‘appointment booking system’ online. Find the full list of pass issuance counters here. Engineering and medical students can use additional counters through Bangalore One Centres as well. 

“BMTC fetches student details from the government database SATS (Student Tracking System). Last year, the address details from SATS did not match students’ actual addresses, and hence there were issues in delivering passes,” says Deepak.

There is no option for online payment for passes either, unlike last year. Students have to pay in cash while physically collecting the passes.

Last year, the application process was fraught with technical glitches. The corporation had failed to process roughly 70,000 applications then. BMTC had cited delay with the online payment gateway, incompetency of students in completing the applications, and non-cooperation of educational institutions as reasons for failure of the service.

However, Deepak says that the corporation has built a new application from scratch this time, to avoid glitches. “The application has also been tested for two months,” he says.

As per the press release, students from class 1 to 10, PUC and some special schools could start applying from June first week. The process will start in July for degree and professional college students, and in August for engineering and medical students.

How to apply?

Follow this step-by-step process, at BMTC’s bus pass application page 

• For renewing old passes:
  • Choose the option to renew old pass online
  • Enter details of your previous year’s BMTC smart card
  • Enter/edit details like caste/school/standard etc
  • Go through the OTP verification process. OTP will be sent to the mobile number you mentioned in the student pass application
  • Wait for approval from institution/BMTC. You will get an SMS, notifying approval
  • On receiving the SMS of approval, book an online appointment for visiting the nearest pass issuance counter
  • Bring the card to your chosen issuance counter to change the validity period, route details etc
• For issuance of new passes: This process applies for students who lost their old passes too.
  • Select the option to apply for new pass online
  • Enter SAT/PU enrolment number; or admission number in the case of non-state board students/others. Admission number is the unique number given by the institution at the time of the student’s admission
  • Enter details like caste/school/standard etc
  • Go through the OTP verification process. OTP will be sent to the mobile number you mentioned in the student pass application
  • Wait for approval from institution/BMTC. You will get an SMS, notifying approval
  • On receiving the SMS of approval, book an online appointment for visiting the nearest pass issuance counter
  • Appear in person and get yourself photographed in the selected pass counter
  • Collect your card from the issuance counter

Instructions for students based on their boards (SATS/CBSE/ICSE):

• For school and PUC students in state board schools/colleges (SATS & PU board):
  • It is mandatory to enter your SATS/PU enrolment number and date of birth
  • For students between class 1 to 10, approvals will be done by BMTC officers; schools will not be burdened by this process. Applications of PU students will be approved by their colleges
  • Documents to be uploaded:
    • Students from 1st to 10th standards have to upload attested copy of the document in the prescribed format (Annexure 3 here)
    • PU students have to upload a passport-size photo in jpg format (upto 1 MB), along with copy of the fee-paid receipt

• For students in CBSE/ ICSE schools, Degree/ Professional/ Technical/ Medical/ Evening/ Phd courses/ special schools recognised by the Social Welfare Department:
  • Enter your admission number as it appears in the fee-paid document you’ll upload, and follow the process as prescribed
  • Applications will be approved by institutions
  • Documents to be uploaded:
    • Passport-size photo in jpg format (upto 1 MB)
    • Copy of fee-paid receipt. This receipt should have admission number

Bus pass fares hiked

In a press release yesterday, BMTC announced hiked fares for student passes.

Hiked fares for new passes and for renewing old passes. Source: BMTC

The hike is applicable to all, except primary school students whose annual bus pass fee is Rs 200. The annual fare for issuing new passes has been increased in the range of Rs 100 to Rs 250 for school, degree and professional college students. The hike is highest for professional college students, at Rs 250. Engineering and medical college students will have to shell out Rs 240 more, and evening college/PhD students will have to pay Rs 200 more.

The cost of renewing old passes has also been hiked by Rs 100 to Rs 220.

The fare hike comes at a time when student unions have been demanding free passes for students, in line with the budgetary promise of the previous Siddaramaiah government. Currently, students pay around 25 percent of the ticket cost on using a bus pass. Sithara H M, District President, All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) says that bus fares are higher than even the tuition fee in government colleges.

She also questions the scrapping of the physical application process, pointing out that internet accessibility and connectivity are not available to all.

BMTC had earlier said that students could not avail concession using their old passes, though schools and PUCs had reopened before the corporation relaunched the online service. But, following student protests, the corporation has allowed students to use their old passes till June 20th.

Update: BMTC has retracted the hike in student bus pass fare, following protests. Now the fare would be the same as last year’s. BMTC’s decision was based on instructions from the state government.