BENGALURU: Starting Friday, 20,000 school and PU students in the city will get their concession passes in the form of smart cards that will be either delivered at home through post or distributed in school by BMTC staff.The BMTC has tied up with the primary and secondary school department to facilitate issuance of passes. The smart card will be a closed-loop card which means it can only be used for BMTC rides.“Starting this year, we’ve integrated with the education department and computerized the application process so that students do not have to come to bus stations to get their passes. We collect data from schools and PUC colleges. Students can apply through the website and we’re also making a feature in the app to enable the same facility. They need to upload their school/college ID card and fee receipt, pay while receiving the card from our staff who’ll visit schools or to the postman at their doorsteps. The cost of the pass will be written on the card,” V Ponnuraj, MD, BMTC said.The BMTC will issue 20,000 cards by the end of July and has received about 55,000 applications from students already. Over 3.80 lakh students—33,250 from primary schools and 60,000 from secondary schools— avail the facility through BMTC every year. The number of PU students availing bus passes is 1,05,000. “The number of applications received this year as of now is low, but it will pick up after July 15,” Ponnuraj added.Closed-loop for passengersThe closed-loop cards will be available for other passengers in a couple of months, along with open-loop ones offered by Axis Bank. The latter was introduced last year, which can be used for bus rides, Metro rides, banking and shopping etc.“The open-loop card is the best option as the citizens need only one card to make payments anywhere. But it’s only one bank which offers the service as of now and it’s too much to ask all the citizens to switch over to the card offered by one bank. The closed-loop card is a temporary solution until BMRCL, KSRTC, BWSSB and other government agencies also accept payment through one card,” he said.Beg, borrow or steal, but give free bus passes to students’“We don’t know how you’ll arrange funds. You beg, borrow or steal, but provide free bus passes to students immediately.” This is what Congress MLC SR Patil told transport minister DC Thammanna on Wednesday when the latter expressed inability to implement the scheme stating that the finance department has not approved it.The scheme was announced by former CM Siddaramaiah in his last budget. Both the transport and finance departments are at loggerheads over sharing the additional burden the scheme will put on the road transport corporations.“The scheme was announced in the budget and both the Houses have approved it. How can the finance department refuse to release funds for a budgeted scheme? Moreover, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has said all the programmes announced by Siddaramaiah in his budget will continue. Don’t give such lame excuses. You beg, borrow or steal, but give free bus passes to students immediately,” Patil said in the legislative council.Patil’s reaction came after Thammanna said the scheme cannot be implemented unless the finance department gives funds, stating that the road transport corporations are not in a position to take the burden as they are under a loss of Rs 600 crore.Thammanna’s reply did not go down well with the members of both the treasury and opposition benches and they demanded the minister implement the scheme to help students.“From where shall I get funds? The corporations are already under financial stress. Will you give money to implement it?” a visibly angry Thammanna reacted to the opposition members.When the debate led to pandemonium, chairman Basavaraj Horatti asked the minister to give a detailed reply on Thursday.

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