One ticket for all may take four years

Mumbai: Railways authorities have said that it will take at least another four years for the much-delayed Integrated Ticketing System (ITS) to be completely synchronised with the other modes of transport in the city such the BEST bus and the Metro, said sources.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) will submit the first draft of its plan in November. The draft will have inputs from all the three major public transport systems in the city with railways having the biggest share.

The authorities are exploring options such as the smart card and Quick Response (QR) codes. The ITS scheme seeks to introduce a single ticketing system for all modes of state transport in the city such as buses, trains and metro. The ITS scheme has been long delay, but sources said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has shown a keen interest in its implementation due to the upcoming Metro lines across the city.

A railway official said, “The railways is such a gigantic system that synchronising our systems internally proves to be quite the task so you can imagine what will happen if we have to integrate with the BEST and the Metro as well.” The railways has conveyed this to the other two transport authorities and the CM. The official added, “No matter when they introduce the system, be it tomorrow or a decade later, we estimate that in three or four years after the launch to have one fluid system.” A few voices from all the three public transport systems have said they should stick to the smart-card system, but some have asked for considering QR codes.

The smart-card would be used via the Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM) already placed on each station or a QR code at each station would be provided, and commuters will have to scan the code to check in their location and tap on the destination.

The card will also act as a pass for those who travel on a fixed route daily. Almost 70 per cent of the roughly 80 lakh commuters per day use a railway pass to commute.

While the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation is the planning body for Mumbai suburban and the co-ordinating agency of the railways, the MMRDA has been asked to take the lead on the project.