Common mobility on track, use same card to pay fare on MTC, Chennai Metro Rail

CHENNAI: Now, you can use the same card to pay fare on both government buses plying in Chennai and also Metro Rail, after the Metropolitan Transport Corporation launched the Singara Chennai card that allows commuters to pay the fare by just a tap.

Launched by Transport Minister SS Sivasankar at a function at MTC’s Central Bus Depot, the Singara Chennai card issued by the State Bank of India is a prepaid National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) that gives a significant boost to common mobility by allowing seamless travel on buses and Metro Rail.

Speaking at the launch, MTC managing director Alby John Varghese said payment through the Singara Chennai card would be much easier unlike the glitches faced in the UPI or card-based payments due to network issues and peak hours.

Like how Singara Chennai cards could be used to pay Metro Rail fare, the four lakh NCMC cars that the CMRL has already issued could be used to travel on MTC buses, he said.

“We will issue 50,000 Singara Chennai cards free as a promotional offer through 20 bus pass counters. Passengers may top-up the card for ticket fare payment at the counter or online,” he said.

“Soon steps would be taken to recharge the card through the bus conductors,” added Alby John.

MTC would distribute the card free of cost at Koyambedu, Broadway, Central Railway Station, Tambaram, Poonamallee, Tiruvanmiyur, Red Hills, Velachery, Guindy, Avadi, T Nagar, Ambattur Industrial Estate, Ambattur OT, Adyar, Iyyapanthangal, Kilambakkam, Vadapalani, Sriperumbudur, Perambur, and Saidapet bus pass sale counters.

After the introduction of the electronic ticketing machines last February, 99.9 per cent of ticketing is being done through ETMs, the MTC official said, noting that this has helped reduce conductors’ workload while also ensuring ease of travel for passengers. At present, 1.6 per cent of the transactions are through digital payments.