September to mark smartphone ticket booking for Mumbai Metro and you will no longer need to carry your smartcard or stand in long queues to buy a ticket to ride the city’s Metro.
To ensure a hassle-free and faster commute for Mumbaiites, the Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Mumbai Metro One plans to introduce mobile ticketing.
This means commuters will be able to buy tickets or monthly passes using the Mumbai Metro app. Once they pay using their mobile wallets or e-wallet, a QR code will be generated, said officials.
A commuter needs to place his mobile screen close to the gate’s sensor , which will scan the code and enable him to access the platform.
Officials said this would be the first mobile-based ticketing system to be implemented on India’s Metros.
“Commuters will no longer need to go to a ticket counter or to customer care to get a ticket or a pass. All you need now is a smartphone,” said a senior official.
Commuters can generate a QR code for journeys planned even a week later.
Officials, however, said they do not plan to stop the sale of single and return journey tokens, 45-trip monthly passes and store value passes over the counter.
“Most popular Metros in the world such as the London underground and the New York and Singapore subways use mobility cards,” a senior official said.
The Delhi and Kolkata metros plan to introduce mobile-ticketing systems soon.Officials said 1.60 lakh commuters buy tokens at counters at Metro stations daily.
Around 15,000 smartcards are bought daily. “The benefits of this new system are enormous. No longer will 1.60 lakh commuters have to wait in queue,” the official said.
