All for a tech-filled Metro ride

Passenger can use the cell phone instead of buying tickets

Jae Hyung Yeom , Director ( Sales) Samsung Data at the announcement , after awarding the State of the Art Ticketing System for the Hyderabad Metro Rail. PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Imagine getting into a local train by just showing your mobile phone without standing in the queue to buy a ticket.

If you thought this would be a mere pipedream, here’s the good news! The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) will be introducing futuristic ‘near field communication technology’ in which one can use the cell phone instead of buying tickets.

Daily passes

But that is not all. One can opt for daily, weekly or monthly metro passes and can recharge them at metro stations by paying cash or can be recharged at ATM machines, through mobile banking, at metro rail website or even at roadside paan shops. And what more?

Other services

The metro cards can also be used for travelling in city buses, local trains and at parking lots in the city.

Revealing this, L&T Metro Rail Managing Director V.B. Gadgil told reporters here on Monday that HMR would use Automatic Fare Collection system through which all transactions would be automated.

HMR has awarded a contract to Samsung Data Systems to implement Automatic Fare Collection system, he said.

“We are taking all steps to ensure that passengers will have a hassle-free journey. The metro stations will feature facilities like passenger-operated and user-friendly ticket vending machines, provisions for physically challenged persons and latest Automatic Fare Collection gates to facilitate faster passenger clearance,” Mr. Gadgil explained.

These cards can even be used to purchase merchandise at shops in metro stations, said Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy. Metro stations will be constructed in three levels – street level, concourse level and platform level.

Facilities

The concourse level will have shops, ticket vending machines and Automatic Fare Collection gates. Cards can be used at any of these facilities, he said.

The Central government is deliberating introducing a new concept of ‘Single Mobility Card’, and the Hyderabad Metro Rail will be the pioneer in the country in testing this concept, he said.

“A financial institution will be appointed by the Government soon, and the scope of using these cards will be increased by including other commercial establishments,” Mr. Reddy added.