Major fire breaks out in plastic factory in Kerala, atleast 30 fire tenders on spot
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31: A major fire broke out at a plastic manufacturing unit in Manvilla near here on Wednesday night.
There was, however, no casualty, police said, citing preliminary reports.
At least 30 fire tenders have been trying to put out the blaze, which broke out around 7 pm.
Workers, who were in the unit, managed to rush out as soon as the fire broke out, some of the workers said.
Visuals aired by TV channels showed thick smoke billowing out of the unit as fire tenders are fighting the blaze for four hours.
Two persons, who felt uneasy after inhaling the fumes, have been hospitalised.
People living nearby are being evacuated.
#Kerala #Fire
— Sovi Vidyadharan (@vidyadharansovi) October 31, 2018
Firefighters struggling to put out the huge fire at a plastic factory at #Manvila industrial area in #Thiruvananthapuram. No casualties as workers escape. Minister @kadakampalli Surendran admits existing systems inadequate to contain fire.@NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/rq0r55NbWZ
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Bengaluru BMTC introduces QR-based UPI ticketing system in buses
Bengaluru: In a move to enhance digital convenience in public transport, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has introduced a dynamic QR-based UPI ticketing system in teamed up with 'Chalo', a Mumbai-based mobility startup, Asianet News reported.
The system is currently being tested as a pilot project in 50 buses from Yeshwantpur Depot 26. The plan is to roll out this system across all depots by the first week of May. This is part of a four-year contract with Chalo, worth around Rs 30 crore, where the company will not only supply the smart ticketing machines but also handle their maintenance.
Unlike the earlier system that relied on static QR codes, where passengers had to manually enter fare. But with this new system, the conductor's machine generates a fresh, dynamic QR code for each trip. Passengers can scan this code with any UPI app to pay. The payment gets credited instantly, and the ticket is printed only after the payment is successful.
The new system is expected to improve transparency and accountability, especially following recent incidents where some conductors allegedly used personal QR codes to divert payments. It also solves the problem of passengers showing fake payment screenshots to avoid paying the fare.
In the first phase, around 11,000 smart ETMs will be deployed, with plans to increase the number to 15,000 over the next five years. The system is designed to support various payment methods, including QR codes, UPI, debit/credit cards, smart cards, and the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
Officials said the system will also be compatible with the one used by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). This opens up the possibility of using a single card or platform for both bus and metro travel in the future.
The government has also given its approval for introducing smart cards for the 'Shakti' scheme, which provides free bus travel to women, aiming to create a single, contactless system for both free and paid travel.
Ever since the bus fares were increased on January 5, more and more passengers have switched to UPI payments to avoid the hassle of finding exact change. It's worth noting that currently, almost half of BMTC's ticket revenue comes from UPI payments.
