Technology company Continental in partnership with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has joined hands to expand OnBoard, a technology solution to make mobility inclusive for the visually impaired.
This initiative was started back in 2023 under Continental‘s CSR wing, Conscience, in collaboration with IIT Delhi and Raised Lines Foundation (RLF). This solution is designed to support visually impaired individuals in safely boarding public transport buses.
Following a successful pilot implementation on 25 BMTC buses, the initiative has now expanded to 100 more buses with a plan to install in total 500 buses in the city. The aim is to make mobility available for all.
The announcement was made in the presence of the Hon’ble Karnataka Transport Minister, Shri Ramalinga Reddy, during a press conference at the BMTC Central Office.
OnBoard was developed at IIT Delhi with the support of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt of India and the technology was transfered to Raised Lines Foundation, an IIT Delhi incubated not- for-profit organisation.
The device allows the individuals with visual impairment to identify bus route numbers and locate the entry door positions using audio cues from a bus-mounted speaker, enabling boarding to be both smoother and accessible.
With support from IIT Delhi
“Industry-academia collaboration has always been crucial while addressing any real-world challenges, and the OnBoard solution is a testament to that. Its deployment across the BMTC network will allow visually impaired individuals to navigate public transport. At IIT Delhi, we are excited and very proud to see a technology we have contributed to making such a meaningful difference in people’s lives, bringing the benefits of inclusive design to the heart of urban mobility. At Raised Lines Foundation, our mission has been empowerment of persons with visual impairment by providing access to inclusive solutions with focus on mobility, education and independent living.” said Prof. M. Balakrishnan, Honorary Professor, IIT Delhi and Chairman, Raised Lines Foundation.
CSR to empower the visually impaired
Prashanth Doreswamy, the President and CEO of Continental, expressed, “At Continental, we believe that mobility must be inclusive and accessible, it should lie at the very core of innovation. Therefore, through our CSR initiative, we aim to empower every individual with the freedom of movement. Technology has opened up a world of possibilities, and this is just a steppingstone. As a technology company, we see it as our responsibility to help shape the future of mobility, which is not just connected, autonomous, shared, and electric, but also inclusive. We are proud to work with BMTC in supporting the vision of a more connected and accessible Bengaluru.”
With approval granted for the installation of OnBoard units across 500 buses, installation is complete on 401K and 401R routes and the next phase is already in progress. Production of additional units is underway with the installation of the next batch of 400 devices planned from mid-July. The full implementation is targeted for completion by August this year.
Step towards making public transport system accessible
“This project is a flagship initiative for inclusive urban mobility in Bengaluru. BMTC recognizes that OnBoard is a crucial step towards making the city’s public transport system more accessible and inclusive, bringing it on par with other leading global cities. At BMTC, we are fully committed to this initiative and are aligning all internal efforts to ensure its smooth and timely deployment across our fleet.”, stated Ramachandran R, Managing Director, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
Over the past few months, rigorous field testing of the devices was conducted with visually impaired students by Raised Lines Foundation in collaboraton with Enable India, Bengaluru. The highly encouraging results demonstrate the effectiveness of OnBoard in facilitating independent bus travel. The performance of the devices remained promising under challenging conditions like rain, heat, and dust, sustaining stable connectivity for consistent data flow.
The launch event concluded with a live demonstration, interactions with the media, and a call for strengthened public–private partnerships to further nurture accessibility and inclusivity across the country’s transportation networks.