In an effort to modernize, the city of Hyderabad, India is planning on introducing a smart ticketing system. A smart card will soon be key to all modes of transport in the city, with a single open-loop National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) being introduced for Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses, Metro rail, and Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) trains, autorickshaws, and cabs.
In the third meeting at Bus Bhavan of a task force committee dedicated to improving transporting facilities in the state of Telangana at, of which Hyderabad is a part of, the State Bank of India (SBI) gave a demonstration of devices that Metro Rail and TSRTC can use to implement the smart ticketing system.
During the meeting, the Roads and Buildings (R&B, no relation to the music genre) department principal secretary of managing director of TSRTC Sunil Sharma stressed on the need to build a common payment system for all modes of transport for commuter convenience and to encourage use of public transport. Sharma also urged those present to sort out “technical and commercial issues” for early completion of the NCMC ticketing system.
Depending on the mode of transport, the fare amount would be directly deposited to the account of the respective organization, (TSRTC, Metro Rail, or MMTS), or individual (a driver in the case of ride-shares such as Ola or Uber). L&T Metro Rail has already entered into a contract with SBI for implementation of the new smart card ticketing platform.
The move to introduce a common smart card for public transportation in Hyderabad is accompanied by similar efforts in other Indian cities such as New Delhi, where metro smart cards can pay for rids in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and cluster buses. The scheme underwent several delays due to disagreements between the transport department and the office of the minister for transport, but the card came into effect with a soft launch on August 24th, 2018.
The Bottom Line
Home to the second largest population in the world and the fastest growing population in the world, India has taken steps to modernize its public transportation scheme throughout its cities, such as Hyderabad and New Delhi. With a common card that can be used across various transport modes, from rapid transit to bus to autorickshaws, the customer has the added convenience of being able to travel the way they want without friction, and the merchant has the benefit of added revenue.
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