Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, Jan 20: As India moves in the path of digitalization, everything today from buying essentials to paying bills has gone online. In another example of how digitalization has caught on, a private bus service has launched Wi-Fi in its vehicles which ply to the rural areas.

Free Wi-Fi facility has been started in Golden Line buses owned by Natekal resident A B Ibrahim. His son Abdul Rehman drives the bus. Abdul Rehman’s son, Afreez, employed in a private company had decided to install free Wi-Fi in the buses.

As per his initiative, free Wi-Fi is being provided for the last two days in the city bus route No 54 plying between Mangaluru and Hoohakuvakallu. The name of the Wi-Fi and the password are written in the sticker pasted inside the bus. As the news spread, the number of students travelling in the bus has substantially increased.

"Rural people hesitate to access internet in the mobile. We are sure that free internet service will be useful for them," said driver Rehman.

Jio router: Jio router has been installed near the steering. As the router works on rechargeable battery, it gets charged during the night when the bus is parked. The router remains switched on the whole day and most of the passengers in the bus make use of it. "The bus passengers thank us for free internet while paying ticket fare which makes us happy," said bus conductor Kunhi.

"Usually we lose network while travelling by bus. But in the Golden Line bus which goes to Thokkottu, Kuthar, Deralakatte, Natekal, Kalkatta, Manjanady, Montepadavu and Montugoli, we do not face network problem," say the locals.

The locals also had a word of advice to the youngsters. "Youth should refrain from misusing the Wi-Fi facility. If it is used to educate rural people about digital era, this bus will be a model for the village," they said.