Reserve bus seats via SMS from today

Suraj A Bandara

The National Transport Commission and Dialog Axiata yesterday introduced a mechanism to reserve bus seats via SMS. From today passengers will be able to pre-book and purchase tickets over the mobile phone.

This service is implemented under the purview of the National Transport Commission. Seats could be reserved through this system on private transport buses plying on identified long-haul routes.

Colombo-Badulla, Colombo-Ampara and Colombo-Kataragama are the routes available under this service. This would be extended to other long distance routes soon.

Passengers will have to dial Dialog hotline, 444, and inform the call centre agent of the destination, time and date and the number of tickets required. The call centre agent will inform the customer of the timetable and price and an SMS is sent to the customer with a PIN number confirming the booking details. The price would be added to the customer's bill or credit allocation.

The National Transport Commission office at Bastian Mawatha, where the main bus terminal is situated, can check a booking at any given time and will receive an e-mail three hours prior to the departure of a bus confirming the number of mobile bookings, which will be handed over to the conductor of the bus.

The customer will have to bear an additional Rs. 35 which include call charges and the bus ticket.