Benglauru commuters will now be able to bypass the hassle of standing in long queues and instead will be able to purchase single-journey metro tickets directly through the Namma Metro app or WhatsApp.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is the first transit agency in the world to enable end-to-end QR ticketing on WhatsApp.
Here's how QR tickets can be purchased:
A) Namma Metro app: Travellers should download the app from Google Play and register themselves to buy tickets.
B) WhatsApp: Save the BMRCL's official WhatsApp chatbot number 810 555 66 77 and send 'Hi' to it to buy QR tickets or recharge metro travel passes. After choosing the travel details, you can pay via the WhatsApp payment option by authenticating the transaction with the UPI PIN.
The chatbot is available in English and Kannada.
Travellers can buy the QR ticket on the Namma Metro app or WhatsApp by specifying the entry and destination stations on the day of the journey. The QR tickets should be scanned by the QR readers of the automatic gates at both source/destination stations.
The QR ticket is valid until the end of the service for the day. Travellers can cancel the ticket on the same day and will get a refund.
The BMRCL is offering a 5 per cent discount on the token fare for QR tickets.
Along with the option to buy single-journey QR tickets and recharge metro travel passes, BMRCL's WhatsApp chatbot also offers a journey planner, a customer feedback mechanism, and WhatsApp payment options.
Under the journey planner option, travellers can locate the nearest metro station (based on their current location), get train departure timings at different stations, and obtain fare details between any two stations.
Published 01 November 2022, 14:12 IST