TECHNOLOGY NEWS

RFID Technology to alter the way auto-rickshaw prepaid counter operates in Thrissur city

EasyQ employs RFID technology to automatically identify a rickshaw by the tagged card stickered on its windshield. As a rickshaw comes within a meter of the reader, it detects the embedded information in it like the auto reg. no., owner, etc., which gets printed onto the receipt along with the destination and fare entered by the operator. Not only the time required to issue a prepaid receipt will be reduced to 2-5 seconds but an entry will be made into the database regarding the activity with particulars that can be accessed by the police department. The Department is further planning to provide handheld devices to police for tracking and detecting information from any rickshaw in an instant. This feature can be put to many uses like issuing parking fine tickets, prevent crimes, and legalize town permits.

On an usual day we would line up at the railway rickshaw prepaid counter in the haste to get back home but we have to wait, sometimes at odd times and weather for the police officer to find and validate the queued up rickshaws. With the introduction of EasyQ now there is no need for any such manual verification. The pilot phase is being carried out for Thrissur railway station, where almost 5,000 rickshaws in the city are being fitted with unique RFIDs by the Thrissur police under the supervision of T. R. Santhosh (CI) and Unnikrishnan (SI). The project is backed by Anita George (AEE) Public Works Department (Electronics) with assistance from Altersoft Innovations, Thrissur