CHENNAI: In a few months you will be able to use the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) card to travel on Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses too.
Taking the first step towards seamless integration of transport in the city, metro rail and MTC have worked out the formalities. "We have been working on this for two years, and we have now signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with MTC. Trial runs are now going on and the system will be functional very soon," CMRL MD Pankaj Bhansal told TOI.
CMRL gave MTC the technical specifications for the new electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) that the corporation started buying early last year. Now all buses have handheld ETMs that are compatible with the CMRL travel card. "Technically, nothing stops us from allowing CMRL's travel card in our buses now. We just have to sort out some payment modalities," said an MTC official.
CMRL officials are confident that these issues will be sorted out within three months. For commuters, it means not worrying about carrying change and not standing in queues. "I travel from Tidel Park to KK Nagar, for which I can use both metro and MTC. A common card would be great," said V Kripa, a resident of KK Nagar.
For many urban planners, this is the first step towards a 'conductor-free' bus ride. "Conductors can be used for other purposes- administrative and at bus depots. However, the management is too scared of unions," said an urban expert who did not want to be named.
In some countries, ticketing machines are fixed on poles near the bus door. "In Chennai, this cannot be done as we need a conductor to control the crowd, if not to issue tickets. Also, some people would not tap the card if no one is around to ask them," said the MTC official.
Now MTC is busy changing the batteries of ETMs. "Earlier batteries could last only eight hours and this was not enough. We are now replacing them with batteries that can last up to 16 hours," said the official.
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