Read to know how commuters in Bengaluru feel about the move and what reservations they have about the initiative.
Bengaluru metro now allows you to book ticket using WhatsApp. (Creative Commons)
Bengulreans don’t have to wait in long queues at the metro station to book tickets for commuting anymore. They can purchase tickets using WhatsApp.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) announced a chatbot-based QR ticketing system that started on Tuesday, 1 November.
Commuters don’t need to purchase tokens or top-up smartcards anymore. And to facilitate the new ticketing system, all the metro stations have upgraded the AFC gates.
BMRCL has claimed that it is the first transit service in the world to introduce an end-to-end ticketing system on WhatsApp.
The booking can be imitated by sending a Hi message to the number. (Supplied)
WhatsApp users can start the ticket-booking process by sending a “Hi” to the chatbot number 8105556677 on their smartphones.
The Whatsapp chatbot is available in English and Kannada for all Namma Metro users.
The chatbot helps commuters with varied options to plan their journey, which includes finding the nearest metro station from the current location and train timings at different stations.
The payment for the ticket can be made through a unified payment interface (UPI).
The purchased ticket will be valid till the end of the Metro service of the day.
If the commuters decide not to travel on the purchased ticket, they can get a refund on the ticket.
BMRCL offers a 5 percent discount on QR tickets over the token fare.
The chatbot helps find the nearest metro station. (Supplied)
Krishnan, who is a regular commuter and train enthusiast, told South First, “It is a good initiative and it will definitely save a lot of time for the commuters. It’s a major relief for all office-goers and college students. The only downside is for those who are illiterate or not tech-savvy to book the tickets.”
Abhishek R, another rail enthusiast, said, “This was something we were eagerly waiting for to happen. I tried booking a ticket for myself last night, but was not able to. I tried again today, and have my ticket booked.”
BMRCL Public Relations Officer Srivas told South First, “The system was launched today. So people who tried it before today would have not succeeded [in booking a ticket].”
Abhishek, addressing the need for a smart card, said, “It would have been more helpful if the smart card would have been attached to the WhatsApp number. For smart cards, they are giving 10 percent [discount, but for UPI transactions they give only a 5 percent [discount] on QR tickets over the token fare.”
The payment for the ticket can be made through a unified payment interface. (Supplied)
Srivas clarified: “The management may in future plan to include the smart card method [on WhatsApp], but it’s not discussed as of now.”
He highlighted that the initiative had been in the planning phase for three months. The management decided to launch it on Kannada Rajyotsava as good news for all Bengalureans.
He added that Bengalurueans gave a very positive response to the initiative on social media. “They have appreciated the move of eliminating the long queue, collecting coins and tokens, and struggling with change,” said Srivas.
With the state celebrating its formation day and a government holiday, many are expected to step outside and use the metro for their commute. The initial few days will be crucial for the BMRCL to make sure there are no complaints from the commuters.
“Regular commuters will start using the app from tomorrow. So, only time will tell how useful this step has proven,” said Krishnan.
“Some technical issues might arise in the initial few days, but we will see to it that the bookings are carried out smoothly,” assured Srivas.
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