A proposal is on the cards to integrate different mobility apps with a single app that has been envisaged in Kochi, courtesy key stakeholders in the transportation sector like Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) and Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
Efforts are under way to integrate the app with the Kochi-1 app that was launched after the Kochi metro’s commissioning. Apart from enabling cashless transit in multiple modes of public transport, the benefits will include availing any service, including purchase of merchandise, using a single open-mobility network app. The services availed using the app will be linked by the same protocol. This will help ensure seamless travel, since, for instance, an autorickshaw driver will be able to keep track of a commuter’s location and wait for him at a specified spot at a specified time. It will be a citizen-centric app, official sources said.
An open-loop travel-cum-debit card too is being readied in partnership with a prominent player. This too could be a first-of-its-kind card in India. Using this common mobility network, even small retail shops in a locality who cannot afford an app to market commodities can take their services to the doorstep of customers. In other words, almost all needs of a person can be met through one card.
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In March, KMRL had launched a new version of the Kochi-1 mobile app, which allows users to book Kochi metro tickets and view the metro timetable and fare for the journey. The app also hosts a journey planner that suggests routes and means of travel, depending on the user’s location and destination. It also made available a quick ticket-booking option.