Surat BRTS : Ek Aur Wasted Potential

Before reading - Yes ek aur lamba paragraph (but zaroori) just a side note, I have all proofs and data to proove my side 😅, Sources shall be linked if requested. Hey fellow Surti lala and public transport lovers, I wanted to share my thoughts and observations about Surat’s BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System). As a student and someone who genuinely loves public transport, I feel the BRTS has an excellent massive potential. However, I closely observed the system for the past two years—especially since there’s a station right outside my house—I’ve noticed several issues that need urgent attention. 1. Ticket Verification Gates – Non-Functional Everywhere I’ve visited almost all stations around the Dumas and Citylight areas, and none of the ticket verification gates work properly. Basically in an ideal case, the gate should scan the QR code on tickets, verify it, and grant entry. But even after successful verification, an annoying alarm keeps beeping at most stations, creating confusion and chaos. It sounds so awful, although it is needed lol, but the point is 😅 In most cases, passengers use the exit gates for both entry and exit, defeating the entire purpose of the system lol. 2. Real-Time Bus Tracking – Completely Broken SMC partnered with Google for real-time bus tracking via Google Maps, but it hardly works as intended. The location shown is often completely inaccurate for example, Google Maps may show the bus at VR Mall, while I can literally see it right in front of me! I understand a 2–3 minute delay is acceptable, but such large mismatches make the feature unreliable and unusable 🥸.3 3. The Non-Functional Citylink App SMC introduced the Citylink BRTS app to track buses, check schedules, and even purchase e-tickets. Unfortunately, the app is no longer available on Play Store (not sure about Apple App Store). I sideloaded the APK, but umm ugh, 😶‍🌫️ The login gateway doesn’t work—you’re lucky if you even receive the verification code email. E-payment options are broken, so getting an e-ticket is impossible, plus there is no one to verify the ticket. While smart cards are a decent alternative, occasional or semi-regular commuters can’t make full use of the benefits offered. 4. Broken Automatic Gates Many bus stations have automatic gates that should open when the bus arrives, but most are either damaged (broken glass) or simply don’t open as expected. I literally encounter people kicking it so that it can open 😂 Passengers often enter through exit gates, leading to crowding and inconvenience for no reason. 5. Useful but Broken Potential 😭 For those who rely on the web, here are some official links to track buses: 1. [Bus Timings ](http://117.232.115.58:9080/Planyourtrip.aspx) 2. [Live Bus ETA](http://117.232.115.58:9080/LiveBusInfo.aspx) 3. [Tenders and Announcements ](http://117.232.115.58:9080/News.aspx?id=1025) Even these links don’t always function properly, making it harder to plan trips efficiently. 6. Aakhri Sach I do want to highlight that SMC’s switch to electric orange buses and the women-only pink buses is commendable. 🫡 These efforts show the potential for Surat’s BRTS to be one of the best public transport systems in India if only the execution were smoother. This post isn’t a rant, yehi ek ake-up call hai lol. Surat’s BRTS is like having a giant family pack of ice cream 😋 sitting right in front of you, but no spoon to eat it. 😭 It’s frustrating to see so much potential being wasted because of poor maintenance, broken tech, and lack of updates. I believe that if we collectively raise awareness and report these issues to SMC, we can push for the necessary fixes to make BRTS the efficient and reliable system it was designed to be.