Mumbai: Mumbai commuters eagerly look forward to the day when the talk of an integrated ticketing system (ITS) will become a reality. But not so soon — the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is coordinating with 14 different transport agencies to push this project, said an MMRDA official.
The ITS will enable commuters to enjoy ‘seamless travel’ within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with just a single travel card to commute on multiple modes of transport. The official stated, “The fourteen transport agencies, including the railways, mono, metro, State Transport (ST), Kalyan-Dombivli transport, Navi Mumbai municipal transport, have recommendations and suggestions, which must be taken cognisance of, which is why it is taking time.”
The MMRDA is reportedly keen on adopting an account-based system (ABS), in which payments are linked directly to the passenger’s bank account. Commuters may not need to carry a card, but simply use mobile phones to pass through ticketing gates. Railway officials, on the other hand, wanted a stored value card system (SVC), in which balance is stored on smart cards, in addition to the ABS. The SVC will refuse a journey if there is insufficient balance, while under the ABS, passengers may be able to travel even if their accounts don’t have enough balance. Talks have been held between the state and the Centre on the uniformity of payment earlier.
According to the official, “We are conducting a feasiblity study. We are checking how incorporating the SVC feature, as demanded by the Railways, will prove beneficial. Moreover, only after the report of feasiblity study is over will we decide whether or not to incorporate the feature in the current tender or to float a new tender. The chief minister will decide.”
Notably, in the interim, the MMRDA has again given an extension to the existing tenders for ABS, though the feasiblity study report is awaited. The official further explained, “The tender floated for ABS is not dissolved. The companies can participate.”
So far, four extensions have been given, with some modifications to the old ABS tenders, after interested bidders raised queries, according to the MMRDA. “After the selection of the company and bank for the ITS is completed, it will take another year for the execution of the project at the commuter-level. The development of software, hardware, certification and other necessary procedures take time.”