DTC to launch smart card-based ticketing

NEW DELHI: In a move towards digitising fare collection and reducing paper pass usage, DTC is set to implement a smart card-based ticketing project within a month here, officials said.

The initiative will enable passengers to pay fares using contactless smart cards, mobile payments, QR codes, debit and credit cards, and the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Singh told PTI.

The project aims to offer seamless travel to commuters while reducing operational inefficiencies associated with paper-based systems, Singh said, adding that it is currently operational in Rajghat, Hasanpur, and Kalkaji depots.

Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), the agency implementing the Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) will issue these contactless cards, with passengers paying a one-time fee of Rs 50. The actual cost of issuing the card is Rs 71, which the DIMTS will partially bear, an official said, further informing that each pass renewal will cost Rs 14.

The board has approved 5,700 Electronic Ticketing Machines for digital fare collection, aiming to speed up and simplify the process. Service charges to DIMTS will drop from 1 per cent

to 0.75 per cent. The Transport Department has asked DIMTS to bear implementation and staffing costs, which could further reduce ticket prices.