College students will be able to purchase smart cards issued by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in the next few days, with the transport utility ready to roll out the next phase of the scheme.
The cards, which were so far available only to school and pre-university college students as well as 100 passengers on the 335E route, have been largely successful. After some fine-tuning, the availability of cards will be ramped up rapidly in the coming months. By mid-July, all sub-routes operating on the 335 main route will be selling smart cards.
“The aim is to ramp it up by introducing smart cards to new routes and consumers within a gap of 15 days. So while college (including technical colleges) students will get access to smart cards within one week, we shall expand to all of route no. 335, and then to Vayu Vajra (airport premium services) and Vajra routes in a phased manner,” a BMTC official said.
The BMTC smart cards, which operate on an open-loop system, were launched in collaboration with Axis Bank. Customers pay a 0.69% fee per transaction for using them. According to the BMTC’s internal plan, smart cards should be rolled out to all commuters by mid-October.
Demand for integrated card grows louder
The completion of Phase I of Namma Metro has put the focus back on the demand for an integrated smart card that commuters can use for both metro and BMTC buses.
While the demand for an integrated card is not new, it had not gathered any momentum till last month when the entire 42.3 km of Namma Metro’s Phase I network was connected. With a daily ridership of around three lakh across both Purple and Green Lines, and increased feeder services, commuters are now demanding one card for travel across both modes.
“Currently, the BMTC is launching a smart card and Namma Metro has a different one. It would be easier to carry just one card that can be recharged online. A lot of big cities have this facility. Bengaluru also should adopt it soon,” said Supriya N., a resident of Ullal who commutes using both modes of transport daily.
Faced with an increasing demand for integration, both the BMTC and BMRCL plan to chalk out a project plan in the coming weeks. “We have spoken about this... the issue is under discussion,” said Pradeep Singh Kharola, managing director, BMRCL.
However, there are many technical challenges to be overcome for a two-in-one smart card to become a reality. “The two smart card systems are different. BMRCL operates a closed-loop smart card that will have to be integrated with the open-loop system of the BMTC. Other logistics such as cost-sharing on the project and time frame will also have to be worked out,” an expert familiar with the matter said.
According to BMTC sources, meetings for implementing a roadmap will begin within two months. “We want to ensure that our Intelligent Transport System and the smart card system are stable before we start any talks. By September, we will be ready,” a BMTC official said.
The cards, which were so far available only to school and pre-university college students as well as 100 passengers on the 335E route, have been largely successful. After some fine-tuning, the availability of cards will be ramped up rapidly in the coming months. By mid-July, all sub-routes operating on the 335 main route will be selling smart cards.
“The aim is to ramp it up by introducing smart cards to new routes and consumers within a gap of 15 days. So while college (including technical colleges) students will get access to smart cards within one week, we shall expand to all of route no. 335, and then to Vayu Vajra (airport premium services) and Vajra routes in a phased manner,” a BMTC official said.
The BMTC smart cards, which operate on an open-loop system, were launched in collaboration with Axis Bank. Customers pay a 0.69% fee per transaction for using them. According to the BMTC’s internal plan, smart cards should be rolled out to all commuters by mid-October.
Demand for integrated card grows louder
The completion of Phase I of Namma Metro has put the focus back on the demand for an integrated smart card that commuters can use for both metro and BMTC buses.
While the demand for an integrated card is not new, it had not gathered any momentum till last month when the entire 42.3 km of Namma Metro’s Phase I network was connected. With a daily ridership of around three lakh across both Purple and Green Lines, and increased feeder services, commuters are now demanding one card for travel across both modes.
“Currently, the BMTC is launching a smart card and Namma Metro has a different one. It would be easier to carry just one card that can be recharged online. A lot of big cities have this facility. Bengaluru also should adopt it soon,” said Supriya N., a resident of Ullal who commutes using both modes of transport daily.
Faced with an increasing demand for integration, both the BMTC and BMRCL plan to chalk out a project plan in the coming weeks. “We have spoken about this... the issue is under discussion,” said Pradeep Singh Kharola, managing director, BMRCL.
However, there are many technical challenges to be overcome for a two-in-one smart card to become a reality. “The two smart card systems are different. BMRCL operates a closed-loop smart card that will have to be integrated with the open-loop system of the BMTC. Other logistics such as cost-sharing on the project and time frame will also have to be worked out,” an expert familiar with the matter said.
According to BMTC sources, meetings for implementing a roadmap will begin within two months. “We want to ensure that our Intelligent Transport System and the smart card system are stable before we start any talks. By September, we will be ready,” a BMTC official said.