Delhi Metro Phase 4 project: Metro stations to accept ‘One Nation One Card’, mobile phones for entry

The metro users will also be able to use a mobile phone to enter or exit a metro station on its corridors.

Delhi Metro Phase 4: In the upcoming Phase-IV Delhi Metro lines, the system of automatic fare collection will be fully compliant with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). The metro users will also be able to use a mobile phone to enter or exit a metro station on its corridors. Recently, DMRC Chief Mangu Singh was quoted in a PTI report saying that these two facilities are likely to be rolled out at Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line by the end of this year. The NCMC, known as ‘One Nation One Card’ is an inter-operable transport card, launched to allow the public to pay multiple kinds of transport charges, including metro and bus services, through a common card. Besides, this would allow the card holders to pay their parking charges, toll taxes, retail shopping as well as withdraw money.

According to Singh, the facility to use mobile phones to enter/exit AFC gates, are present in major modern systems in various countries across the world, including in South Korea’s Seoul Metro. To improve Delhi Metro’s rolling stocks and energy efficiency, the DMRC is working to continuously improve the system, with better technological along with other interventions. In Phase-IV of Delhi Metro, the AFC system will fully accept NCMC, which can be used in any city. Moreover, Singh said that a mobile phone will work as a smart card, and commuters will be able to use to enter/exit the AFC gates, in Phase-IV lines.

However, the DMRC MD has underlined that e-payment system and technology are fast-evolving and new technologies may emerge by the time the Phase-IV work is complete. At present, Airport Express Line commuters can also enter/exit AFC gates using a QR code on mobile phone that has to be collected from a Delhi Metro counter. But, DMRC’s future plan is to have a system whereby metro users can generate their own QR codes on their mobile phones as well as enter through AFC gates using that facility, Singh said.

According to the DMRC Chief, at first, these two facilities will be available on the brand new Phase-IV lines. He further stated, hopefully by the time the development is over, the corridors to be built under Phase-IV as extensions of existing Delhi Metro lines, would also be upgraded for compliance. Also, old DMRC smart cards will work in Phase-IV lines, Singh said.

Last year, the Union Cabinet had approved three corridors under Phase-IV, out of the six corridors. The DMRC Chief, on the current status of three remaining corridors, said that there is a setback to all new projects at present, as far as the Centre is concerned, so some delay can be expected in getting the sanctions. If the corridors are sanctioned in a year’s time say, the DMRC is keeping itself ready by then with the design and detailing. Also, development work will begin in a one-and-a-half-year time, and they are likely to be completed in two-and-a-half years from the time of approval, he added.