CHENNAI: Minister for Transport SS Sivasankar, on Wednesday, launched the Airtel Payments Bank's 'Singara Chennai' travel card for public use at the Secretariat.
The 'Singara Chennai' travel card, also known as the National Common Mobility Card, aims to provide passengers with a seamless and cashless commuting experience. The Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) have already been deployed across all MTC buses to facilitate digital transactions using this card.
MTC introduced the travel card in association with the State Bank of India, with over 30,000 cards issued and more than 16,000 passengers using it daily.
To further expand this initiative, the MTC release said that Airtel Payments Bank will now offer the 'Singara Chennai' travel card at key bus terminals and high-footfall bus stops in Chennai for Rs 100, which includes Rs 50 worth of travel credit. The card can be easily recharged through online services, mobile applications, and authorised Airtel Payments Bank outlets.
"In a recent update, the travel card has been modified to remove the earlier restriction of 20 travel transactions per recharge, allowing unlimited travel within the available balance. Additionally, passengers can scan the QR code on the back of the card using mobile applications to recharge, and NFC-enabled smartphones can update the card balance via the Airtel Thanks app," it said.
Senior officials present at the launch event included MTC MD T Prabhushankar, Joint MD C Natarajan, representatives from Airtel Payments Bank and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), along with other senior MTC officials.