Nagpur’s AI bus trial hits 97% accuracy: here’s what changes next

An artificial intelligence system tested on five Aapli Buses in Nagpur has returned data that is 97% accurate, prompting the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to move ahead with a wider rollout of the technology across its public bus fleet. The pilot, run by the NMC’s transport department, used AI to track exactly how many passengers board and alight at each stop.

Transport committee chairperson Mangala Khekre confirmed the result after a committee meeting held on Tuesday. “The data generated through the trial was 97% accurate and will help the department improve operational efficiency and boost revenue,” she said. The system is designed to give planners a far more precise picture of ridership than manual counts or ticket-sale estimates alone.

Based on the trial’s outcome, the transport committee approved the formation of a Project Advisory Committee that will oversee the technology’s implementation beyond the initial five buses. The panel is expected to guide how the passenger-counting data feeds into route planning and revenue forecasting for Nagpur’s bus network going forward.

The AI push comes as the transport department works with a total allocation of Rs 160 crore, cleared by the committee at the same meeting. Ticket sales brought in Rs 8.32 crore in April and Rs 8.28 crore in May, while expenditure over the same two months came to Rs 20.95 crore and Rs 20.52 crore respectively, underlining why more accurate revenue planning tools are a priority for the civic body.

The same meeting also cleared a proposal to convert 150 midi buses and 45 minibuses to CNG, with the operator bearing the full conversion cost under a five-year agreement, and approved the operation of 91 buses across seven routes in the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority area.

[Source: Times of India] Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Rsrikanth05