DMRC to upgrade ticketing tech

New Delhi: In a bid to provide seamless journey to the commuters, the Delhi Metro is going to upgrade the ticketing technology and has invited the expression of interest for implementation of EMV (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) and RuPay based open loop ticketing in DMRC including comprehensive maintenance of automatic fare collection (AFC) system of Phase 1, 2, and 3 stations.

The DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) envisages upgrading the existing AFC system to enable the EMV, a technical standard for smart cards, EMV, and RuPay based open loop ticketing following the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) model.

The NCMC model is specified by the ministry of housing and urban affairs for interoperability with other operators by use of non-proprietary standards so that the interface is scalable to other networks such as transit operator, retail outlets, parking, etc. in Delhi-NCR.

“The existing AFC technology and infrastructure (hardware and software including Back Office and external interfaces) needs to be updated accordingly,” said sources.

This facility will be launched in the coming months with the aim of providing an open loop card payment system that would enable multi-model transport ticketing. A commuter will be able to travel on various modes of transport using a single ticket. The advanced card, which will look like an ATM card, can be swiped at the machines installed at the Metro rail stations to begin the journey on Delhi Metro.

This facility will enable a passenger to order commodities while travelling in Delhi Metro and collect the goods from a particular Metro rail station.

The Delhi Metro is a rail system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region in India. 

Globally, there is no nationwide common card, except in Singapore, wherein interoperability is confined to the city only.