After nearly 2 decades of wait, city to get common ticketing app

The app will allow commuters to book tickets for five metro lines, the monorail, suburban locals and buses in Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayander, Kalyan-Dombivali and Navi Mumbai, officials said

Mumbai: Nearly two decades after a failed attempt at creating a common ticketing system for all modes of public transport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch ‘Mumbai One’, an integrated mobility app for 11 public transport operators across the MMR, on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister will launch the app on Wednesday alongside inaugurating the Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade section of Mumbai Metro 3 or the aqua line (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The Prime Minister will launch the app alongside inaugurating the Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade section of Mumbai Metro 3 or the aqua line.

The app will allow commuters to book tickets for five metro lines, the monorail, suburban locals and buses in Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayander, Kalyan-Dombivali and Navi Mumbai, officials said.

“The Mumbai One app will eliminate the need to queue up at ticketing windows by promoting digital transactions and seamless multimodal connectivity,” said a senior Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) official. A single dynamic ticket can be purchased through the app for trips involving multiple transport modes, he said.

“The app will also provide real-time journey updates, alternative routes and estimated arrival times, along with map-based information on nearby stations, tourist attractions as well as an SOS feature to ensure commuter safety,” the official added.

The app will enable commuters to plan their journey and choose between different modes of transport, said a senior Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) official.

“Commuters will only have to enter the originating and terminating points of their journey, based on which the app will enlist the available modes of transport, points of interchange if any, and the total fare,” the official said.

Over a crore commuters could benefit from the app owing to easy internet access and usage of digital payment modes, particularly UPI based ones, the official noted.

The idea of having a common ticketing system was mooted by the state government in 2007. In April 2008, the ‘Go Mumbai’ card was launched via the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking. Though the card allowed commuters to book bus and suburban train tickets, it was discontinued within a couple of years. The plan to have a common mobility pass subsequently remained on paper for lack of coordination and differences of opinion on revenue sharing among the multiple public transport operators.