Every day approximately more than 300,000 people in Mumbai commute by the Metro, while 15,000 smart cards are bought daily. The Mumbai Metro, which began operation in 2014, has today become highly popular as it is a convenient medium of transport. However, the increasing daily ridership has led to long ques of commuters at the counters who buy tickets or recharge their smart cards. But all that is set to change as the Mumbai Metro is planning to start a unique service that will make travel much more pleasurable and hassle free.
From Mid-August, Mumbai Metro will be launching OnGo, a mobile ticketing system. OnGo is currently in its advanced stage of testing. This effective service would rid metro stations of long ques as people would now be able to buy tickets or monthly passes through their mobile phones either from the comfort of their homes or from any place they want to. Also, one would not be required to carry his or her smart card because they would be able to pass through the automated fare collection (AFC) gates using their smartphones.
It is a time saving system, highly convenient and user-friendly. All one needs to do is download the Mumbai Metro App onto their devices. Thereafter they can pay with their e-wallet or mobile wallet and generate a QR code. This QR code will help the travelers to enter through the AFC gates as all they need to do is place the mobile phone near gate’s sensors and the QR code will be scanned. Apart from saving time, the other advantages of using OnGo is that a QR code can be generated by metro travelers for journeys that have been planned around a week in advance.
Though the new system will soon be in place and will be much more effective and convenient but the authorities are not contemplating with doing away with the single and return journey tokens, store value passes and the 45-trip monthly passes that are available at the counter.
Though mobility cards are already in use in some of the world’s premier metros such as London underground, New York and the Singapore subways, but the Mumbai Metro is the first Metro to launch a mobile ticketing system in India. Soon, the new facility will be implemented in other major metros of the country such as the Delhi Metro and the Kolkata Metro.
Introducing an app like OnGo is not only beneficiary for the customers but also time saving in the contemporary fast paced world. Keeping in mind the benefits of its customers a Mumbai Metro One spokesperson said that “The new feature, the only one of its kind in the country, will add to the overall Metro experience of the commuters.”
