MTC to introduce digital tickets, passes soon

CHENNAI: After introducing electronic ticketing machines to allow digital payment, MTC will launch digital tickets for passengers through a simple ‘tap and pay’ method.

Alby John Varghese, managing director, MTC, told DT Next that apart from the digital prepaid cards, they were also planning to launch digital passes.

MTC began using the new ETMs on 65 buses plying from the Central Bus depot allowing passengers to pay for tickets using UPI, debit or credit cards. “It will be rolled out in all 129 buses of the Central depot from Saturday. In a phased manner, the ETMs would be deployed on all buses within a month after providing hands-on training to the conductors,” he added.

The introduction of digital payments is a relief to passengers who need not worry about giving exact change but also to conductors, who would be relieved from keeping account of the tickets to the passengers.

However, the Chennai Metro Rail passengers who use MTC buses for the first mile and last mile connectivity are upset with the incompatibility of CMRL’s National Common Mobility Card for paying ticket fare through ETMs. NCMC was introduced by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs offering interoperability in different modes of transport including the Metro, buses and suburban railways.

Alby said that the NCMC card could only be used between various Metros in the country. “The card does not allow interoperability with other modes of travel. The RBI and the banking authorities have taken it up,” he said.

Meanwhile, Phanindra Reddy, additional chief secretary, Transport Department, wrote on social media that the ETMs introduced in the MTC and SETC buses would be extended to all the TN State Transport Corporation buses soon.