New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Delhi Metro has set the balls in motion to upgrade all its existing Automatic Fare Collection systems to be compliant with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services, and the work is expected to be completed by June 2023.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has entered into a contract with a consortium for executing the NCMC along with upgrade of complete ecosystem consisting of AFC system which will also enable travel though “QR-based tickets, account based ticket and near field communications (NFC) media,” the DMRC said in a statement on Friday.
On December 28 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the NCMC services on the Airport Express Line.
This service also enables passengers from any part of the country to use their NCMC-compliant RuPay debit card for seamless travel. The same card can also be used for shopping, banking transactions etc., across the country.
DMRC’s system will be able to accept transactions from 23 banks through the RuPay debit card issued by them, officials had then said.
“With the award of this contract, the remaining operational corridors of Delhi Metro will also be equipped with NCMC and QR code compliant AFC system by June 2023,” the DMRC said.
In a big impetus to government of India’s ‘One Nation One Card Policy’, the contract agreement for this AFC work for the three priority corridors (Janakpuri West – RK Ashram Marg, Majlis Park – Maujpur and Tughalakabad – Aerocity) under phase-IV and upgradation of existing (operational) AFC system under phases-I, II, and III, were awarded to a Consortium of M/S Revenue Collection Systems (Thales), France SAS and M/S Paytm Payments Bank Limited, it added.
The implementation of NCMC and QR-based ticket will enable seamless travel by metro rails and other transport systems across the country besides retail shopping and purchases.
“In addition, with mobile QR and NFC-based tickets, passengers will also be able to use a mobile phone to enter or exit a metro station on its corridors. At present, the Airport Express Line (23 KM) of Delhi Metro from New Delhi to Dwarka Sec-21 (6 stations) is having the NCMC and QR code ticketing facility available at its stations,” the statement said.
The contract was awarded to the consortium on Thursday, officials said.
DMRC chief Mangu Singh said, “The Implementation of NCMC along with QR Ticket (paper QR and mobile QR), Account Based Ticketing (ABT) and NFC Media will push the country towards being a cashless economy. This will enable commuters to have an integrated access to all public transports and they need not to carry/purchase multiple cards for different usage”.
Implementation of these technology will bring DMRC at par with the leading metros worldwide. These innovations are going to herald a new era of travelling, comfort and enhanced mobility for Delhi-NCR residents, he added. PTI KND RCJ RCJ
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