Get your Singara Chennai card on bus

Get your Singara Chennai card on bus 

Conductors Of MTC To Sell 20K Cards 

Ramyasre.N@timesofindia.com 27.08.2025

Chennai : Chennai’s bus conductors will soon double up as digital wallet agents, with MTC set to distribute 20,000 Singara Chennai mobility cards from mid-Sept. 

The cards, part of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) platform, will allow seamless travel across MTC buses and Chennai Metro with a single tap. About 1,600 conductors will sell and assist passengers with the new cards, which will be available on routes linked to key metro stations such as Saidapet, Alandur, K K Nagar, Ambattur, and Chennai Central. 

Until now, the cards were sold only at major termini such as Poonamallee, Ambattur, Broadway, T Nagar, and Koyambedu. “This is part of our larger digital push to make travel seamless. 

UPI takes around 20 seconds, and people may not always want to enter their PIN in public. The card works with just a tap, saving both time and ensuring security,” said MTC assistant manager (projects II) Saravana Raja. 

The new version, priced at ₹50, can be self-activated via WhatsApp, unlike earlier cards that required activation through MTC staff. Since Jan, State Bank of India has issued about 35,000 cards, while Airtel, which joined in March, distributed around 12,000 with QR-based recharge options.

 In the latest tie-up, Orbit Wallet will enable conductors to sell the cards directly to commuters. “SBI’s cards were faster than UPI, Airtel’s allowed recharges through apps, but both lacked self-activation. With Orbit Wallet, we are bringing the card to bus commuters directly,” said MTC managing director T PrabhuShankar. 

MTC currently records about 85,000 digital transactions a day, nearly a quarter of them card-based. A pilot run was conducted earlier this year on routes such as 17D and 15, and citywide rollout will follow training sessions for conductors next month. But, not all staff are convinced. “Many commuters forget to recharge. Even if they top up on the spot, it takes time for the balance to reflect, so UPI often feels quicker,” said a conductor on route 72, M Sudhakar. Commuters, however, have largely welcomed the move. “I top up ₹200 often and use the metro a lot. The card usually works fine and makes travel easier,” said a college student, S Malavika. MTC officials said a statewide rollout was in the works, with plans to extend the card to TNSTC and SETC services as well.