Metro Rail to launch app-based ticketing

Secunderabad: Soon metro rail commuters will be able to just swipe their phones at metro stations to travel between the stations. The Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities are presently conducting trial tests at the Secunderabad (East) Metro Station.

All one needs is a Near Field Communication (NFC) compatible phone. The commuters can charge and top up their phones and there would be no need to buy ticket or carry metro card.

"The new ticketing system requires to download an app on the NFC-compatible smartphone enabling purchase of tickets and recharge facility at the counters," said a Metro Rail official, who didn't want to be named.

Smart NFC app should be downloaded by Metro commuters. It quickly detects if your phone is NFC enabled or not. Once the app is installed, you will find a URL and then you have to change the phone settings and then a dialog box appears with a few options.

Click on the options that you want to. And that's enough. You do not need to install multiple apps as this app will cater to all your NFC-related needs, said the officials.

When a passenger walks from the automatic fare collection (AFC) gate, an electronic reader will automatically detect the phone even if it is inside the pocket or bag. After detecting, the reader registers the code of the station on the app.

According to L&T HMRL, this facility would commence soon and will be available in all Metro stations.

How it works:

At the start of the journey, a patron has to tap the phone on NFC terminal, redeem the ticket and board the train. One need not even mention the destination. At the end of the journey, he has to simply tap the phone at the exit gate. It will calculate fare from the embarking station and deduct it from the bank connected to the app.

This also facilitates payment in multi-modal transportation scenario, enabling the patron to pay in Metro or bus or any other transportation system available without the inconvenience of handling cash or standing in long queues.

Passengers are also benefited with minimal investment on cards and tokens, unique identification of patrons, lesser staff for operation and cash handling.