Engineering student develops ‘Yaathraakoottu’ website for KSRTC, helps passengers decode city circular services

A new initiative by an engineering student has brought innovation and clarity to public transportation in Kerala’s capital city.

Keerthana Sara Kiran, a second-year Computer Science engineering student at LBS Institute of Technology for Women, Poojappura, has developed a website named ‘Yaathraakoottu’ (yaathraakoottu.vercel.app) for KSRTC’s Thiruvananthapuram city circular bus services.

The website, designed in just three weeks, has already garnered attention, including appreciation from Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar.

Ms. Keerthana explains the idea was born out of a simple observation. While waiting at the Thampanoor Central bus terminal to travel to her college, the Kottayam native noticed the electric buses had route codes displayed. This sparked the thought of creating an accessible digital platform that could help passengers, especially those visiting the city for the first time, navigate the city’s circular bus services with ease.

The website, which supports Malayalam, English and Hindi, allows users to enter their boarding and destination points to receive complete information about available circular bus routes. While suggesting various route segments, the platform also highlights key points along the route and the colour codes associated with each bus. Such options would help passengers make informed travel decisions, the budding engineer pointed out.

She credits her department head M.D. Sumithra and LBS Centre for Science and Technology director M. Abdul Rahiman for the support that enabled her endeavour.

With the Minister’s backing, the Transport department has promised financial support for hosting the website. Nonetheless, the college has taken it upon itself to undertake the task. The website is currently live on the free hosting platform Vercel.