PATNA, July 20 -- In a major technology-driven reform, the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) plans to install AI-enabled CCTV cameras with facial recognition software in its fleet of around 900 buses to curb fare pilferage, improve operational efficiency and assess passenger satisfaction. BSRTC administrator Atul Kumar Verma said that the corporation would soon issue a request for proposals (RFP) before floating a tender for the project, which it hopes to implement within the current financial year. "The AI-based surveillance system will help detect suspected fare leakage by matching passenger counts with tickets issued. We want the system to become operational as early as possible," Verma said. The proposed system will use AI-powered facial recognition to record the number of passengers boarding and alighting at each stop, estimate the distance travelled and compare the data with ticket sales to identify route-wise revenue leakages. It will also analyse passengers' facial expressions at the end of a journey to gauge service satisfaction. BSRTC officials said the corporation transports nearly 80,000 passengers daily through its fleet, comprising around 675 city and intra-state buses and about 150 inter-state buses, but continues to incur annual operational losses of around Rs.6 crore. One ticket conductor is currently facing departmental proceedings over alleged fare misappropriation. The corporation is consulting a London-based AI startup before finalising the project design. Among those assisting the initiative is Kumar Aryan Raj, a 26-year-old AI technologist from Patna currently working in London, who has offered to help develop an AI-driven ticketing compliance system. The proposed platform would automatically reconcile passenger counts captured by onboard cameras with tickets issued, enabling the corporation to identify fare leakages route by route....