COMMENTS

This may be slighlty off topic, but relevant.

Google public transit is really conveneint for understanding bus routes for foriegners/outsiders and will really give a boost to public transit use. It takes the ignorance out of the equation.

Mr Syed has pointed to the VTA website. VTA serves 'Silicon Valley", and as a user of this service, I know that it is a small, hard to use means of transport. Buses are infrequent, have long wait times, and not much service to many locations. I have frequently spent 3 hours on a 1 way jouney has takes 30 mins by car.

However, it is very easy to find the most optimal bus route simply because they share routing information with Google. BMTC sharing such information will greatly increase the richer sections (car users) travelling by public transport. I hope the same can be done for KSRTC as well.

Please do not get cynical  and say BMTC/KSRTC cannot do anything like this.Having been dependent on public transport in both nations, I feel that if one knows one's way around BMTC/KSRTC are far superior to anything in USA. The buses are far more frequent, cleaner(at least Volvos) and do not waste the travellers' time. so implementing Google maps is not impossible.

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Mr. George,

This discussion is only about KSRTC website. So pls restrict your comments to its presentation, functionality and ease of use. For operational issues discussion pls create a separate post.

FYI, currently I am also in based US. In fact I have lived in Bay Area and know how good their PT system is. US is not a good example for PT systems. The website reference 'www.vta.org' was only to look at its website presentation. Your suggestion for Google Transit is an important one and it is well taken. Pls keep posting your suggestions for enhancing the KSRTC website. 

Syed

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This is a link to the journey planner for buses /trains /metro in Copenhagen. Though this web page is city travel related, it may be suitable for KSRTC since the web page demonstrates the ease with which journies can be planned & includes links to relevant maps & other related travel information.

You start by entering details such as from, to, date, time, etc. & obtain various options. The results can be downloaded to a PC & printed in pdf format or it can even be downlaoded on to a mobile phone while on the move.

A sample print-out (in pdf format) that I had actually used can be accessed by clicking here.

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A cursory look at the KSRTC's current website that is online makes it obvious that there is not much to do with the travel activities on the website. This would be very over generalized statement. Let me try to back it up with details. Here are my first impressions of this website.

First, Positives:

1. Site appears clean and neat from the looks point of view.
2. It offers the feature to make a ticket reservation. Capt. Naveen even confirms that it works pretty well.
3. It seems to offer a peek into the kSRTC information including RTI information.
4. The present layout and design is fit for KSRTC's INTRANET site.

Negatives:

1. Looking at the home page one can easily make out that this website is not meant for selling KSRTC services/products.
2. Travel related information is hardly about 5%. As many of you noted, 95% of information is about KSRTC Organization.
3. KSRTC organization information including recruitment news ticker should be in background. Travel features should be in fore front.
4. Only 4 links are something to do with the travel.
5. Information is not organized in logical sections. Travel & non-travel links, icons are located mixed up.
6. All the travel info except for Ticket reservation is presented in PDF format. Looks like most of it is not database driven. One has to scroll and search for the required information. All it does is present all the information in one single page.
7. No consistency in presentation aesthetics - Every page has a different appearance.
8. Some pages even launch in new browser window.
9. Do not offer any basic travel service features like Booking the ticket or trip by just entering origin and destination. This is what every travel services website offers.
10. No feature to download travel related information for route maps, tourist destinations or places of importance
11. No information on destination and its local sight seeing places
12. No Feature to obtain information on Dep / arrival status.
13. Hotel Booking link is not meant for Passengers - Its only for Franchisee and hotel management. Couldn't understand its need.
14. No feature to trip planning.
15. No feature to obtain local information of destination cities and towns
16. No information on location, map and Public transport choices to reach the specified bus stations.
17. No sign of any discounts or deals.

I think this list and other feedback should have covered majority of the main functions that KSRTC's website is not offering this time.

Syed

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I agree with you as far as loading is concerned I think we can convert most of the page renderings into CSS files and images are only minimal like the logo etc. It should work. I am more concerned about loading AJAX features. May be we can have a non JavaScript version that can handle that. but I presume we are talking implementation before we have our requirements nailed down :) but its exciting to talk about these things - keep it coming hope to talk to you guys soon  

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