Hyderabad, Dec 19 (Representative) RedBus, India’s largest online bus ticketing service, has launched a new digital bus boarding facility called ‘rZone’ here on Thursday. It has launched 32 rZones in Hyderabad as part of the pilot project, and will scale it to 130 plus installations in the city by the end of April, 2022. The rZones in Hyderabad are located at Ameerpet, SR Nagar, LB Nagar and Punjagutta and have been installed through an agreement with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), HY-FI (Hyderabad City Wifi Project – a Government of Telangana Initiative) and in association with AirFi, a T-Hub incubated tech company founded with a vision to transform bus infotainment system into a fully-fledged Wi-Fi enabled travel experience to all passengers, RedBus said in a release here.
It is a physical installation, identified visually as well as on the redBus app, to help the traveller identify their exact bus boarding point and board the bus without uncertainty or anxiety. The rZone code appears on the app as well as the bus ticket along with the other details for the convenience of the traveller. While bus transport offers one of the most convenient means to travel between cities, boarding a bus at a location other than major bus stations or terminals, poses certain dilemmas, including unfamiliarity with the exact location of pick-up. The redBus app directs the user to the right rZone for boarding, while the bus crew is aware of the passenger’s exact location for pick-up. In addition, rZones offer free Wi-Fi in its vicinity for travellers to identify the exact location of their bus, as well as estimated time of arrival.
By scanning the QR code displayed prominently at the rZone, travellers can instantly search & book bus tickets online. All rZones are readily recognized on Google maps through markers to help users navigate to their boarding points easily. Speaking on the launch , RedBus CEO Prakash Sangam, stated, “redBus has pioneered several features in the intercity bus transport segment, both from a traveller convenience as well as safety perspective and rZone is the latest addition to this. Our partner bus operators have enthusiastically participated to help make this concept a success. We would also like to thank the Government of Telangana and GHMC for their support in this endeavour and look forward to scaling up the rZone project across Hyderabad soon, Mr Sangam added.