Chennai is round in a spontaneous journey corner between various methods of public transport. The ‘Chennai One’ mobile application developed by Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (Cumta) will allow passengers to use the same pass in transport systems. It will be launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday. In prolonged tasks, the application has been developed by integrating the digital ticketing platforms of Chennai Metro Rail and suburban trains – including mass rapid transit systems – as well as with electronic ticketing systems of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). Passengers will be able to travel in all three methods of public transport using the application. They will no longer have to download various mobile applications or take various smart cards.
Insight from a study
‘Chennai One’ is based on an insight collected from a study, titled ‘Journey Planner-cum-Entagrated Ticketing’ in Chennai Metropolitan Area. Officials say this application will be the first of its kind in the country, integrating three different methods of public transport, while private travel gives the option of providing the cheapest and fastest transport from the aggregators if necessary.
Member-secretary of comta came. Jykumar says that while digital ticketing systems are available for suburban trains of Metro Rail and Southern Railway, a new digital ticketing system has been developed for MTC as part of this mobile application. The ticketing system involves integration of application with Indian Railways unreserved ticket system (UTS). It will be maintained by the Center for Railway Information System (CRIS). “Once the MoU is signed, the digital application will be tested for errors so that passengers can have a spontaneous and trouble -free journey.” Mr. Jayakumar says that many inputs have gone to the fine-tuning application, which will cover more than 6,000 bus stops (latitude and longitudinal), 650 bus routes and about 3,500 buses of MTC fleet.
“Once the MoU is signed, the digital application will be tested for errors so that passengers can have easy and trouble -free travel”I. JayakumarMember secretary
In a study conducted before turning on the integrated ticketing system, Cumta found about 47 lakh passengers using various methods of public transport in the city, with three major methods of travel-MTC, Southern Railway and Metro Rail-A common distance-based fare system. While MTC and Metro Rail, which are the state -owned transport bodies, have found convergence through a common mobility card called ‘Singara Chennai’ in recent months, suburban trains use an independent digital ticketing system of UTS. MTC has recently launched digital ticketing through Unified Payment Interface (UPI), which is doing about one lakh digital transactions daily through electronic ticketing machines.
Rent Integration Future is ahead
While the comta is coming with the common digital ticketing mechanism, transport workers insisted that a general rent sect system would be more attractive to use public transport for passengers. Sivasubramaniam Jayaraman of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) says that digital transactions are the future and Comta has developed a general ticketing mechanism, fare integration is the way forward.
Transport workers say that the fare structure for all methods of public transport is based on distance, reflecting passenger features. Therefore, a general fare mechanism should be placed to use public transport for long distance travel for passengers in various methods.
Cumta Member-Secretary I. JEYAKUMAR says that the first phase of the common ticketing project is the moderate integration of metro rail, suburban trains and MTC buses, and rental integration will be done in the final stage. He says that future passengers are not far away for the committeers, which is troubled using the integrated ticketing application of the comater.
Transport activists stressed that a general rent sect system would be more attractive to use public transport for passengers.
According to the data, about 35 lakh passengers use MTC buses, nine lakh suburban trains and three lakh rides use metro rail services. Comparing the available integrated ticketing mechanisms available in Mumbai and Bengaluru, where travelers can travel on bus and metro rail using only one mobile application, Comta will roll a full integrated system for the first time in the country, ‘Maas as a service as a service (Maas) as “Maas) is aimed at providing the last mile connectivity.
MAAS equipment developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with German agency GIZ evaluated five major indicators: travel behavior, system integration, policy readiness, market capacity, and data availability for ticketing system integration of independent public transport operators (PTOS). To assess the use of automated rent collection (AFC), cashless ticket system and inter-model options, comta conducted a readiness survey between PTO. It was found that Chennai Metro Rail was the only operator that implemented all three systems. Southern Railway did not apply two systems (AFC and inter-model options) and MTC was not familiar with any of these systems.
Comta also conducted a multi-PTO workflow study, which included a passenger traveling from ENO to Guduvacherry using three methods of public transport-a suburban train from Innor to Central (₹ ₹ 5), Central to Airport (₹ 40) Metro Rail, and Goodro Rail, and Guduvancharia (₹ 31) using a MTC bus. The study also generated various stages management information system (MIS) report for smooth and spontaneous travel on all three routes.
Green signal of railway board
For the ticketing system, Cumta conducted a market study by planting in private and government players including CRIS, Chartr, and IIT-Madras to understand the capital and operational expenditure required to deploy the integrated ticket system. Subsequently, the only obstacle for the Kamta to implement the general ticket mechanism was riding on the UTS of the Railways, for which the Railway Board indicated green through a letter in September 2023. “Ticketing is no longer a simple part of public transport experience. It is one that enables freedom of movement during mode and boundaries,” UITP, or International Association of Public Transport, Highlighted in It Highlight. From London to Singapore, cities around the world adopted integrated ticketing decades ago, resulting in significant ease of arrival. For example, the UITP report indicated that when the number of passengers increased rapidly in the 1990s, the transport (TFL) for London introduced the Oaster card; By 2013, payment for more than 85% of all rail and bus ride was made through it.
This is the kind of paradigm change that is ready to witness Chennai when Cumta has launched a single ticketing mobile application, in which a QR-code ticket will be sufficient to travel on Chennai Metro Rail, MTC buses and suburban trains. The mobile application of Cumta will only increase comuting, using MTC buses and metro rail with the help of these cards and passengers with the National Common Common Mobility Card (NCMC) or Singara Chennai card, and the mobile application of Cumta will only increase commuting.
According to CMRL officials, they look at a lot of MTC passengers using the metro rail network and vice versa. “When we cannot estimate the exact number of passengers at this point, based on the user response, we know that after launching the NCMC, we see that the MTC uses take the buses using our systems. Similarly, a single QR-code ticket will be very convenience for all the methods of transport. Says a single ticket available for passengers. Because a single ticket is available. Urban planners say it will reduce access and in the coming years, cities in the city may persuade more city residents and tourists to use public transport for public transport.
Saving travel time
Urban planner, Smritika Srinivasan says that London, Singapore and other cities introduced a single ticketing system as contactless ticketing cards for public transport users. “But these physical smart cards should be used by other apps, such as ‘TFL Go’ in the case of London, which is used for travel plan and live updates of public transport routes. These cards are easy to use. It is easy to use a tourist to navigate for different modes.
Ms. Srinivasan says that the study of behavioral science suggests that it is important to address important touch points: the decision to use public transport depends a lot on how easy it is to plan, how many times the ticket-kharid is required to detect and also how often people need to interact with others to get information. She says, “Autos is an important component of Chennai’s transport fabric in addressing the first and final-meal connectivity and it is very good to see that the application has taken it into consideration.
Shreya Gadpalli, the urban planner and founder of the Urban Works Institute, says that the launch of this application is a step in the right direction. But more should be done in terms of physical integration. “While a single QR ticket can benefit several through this application, we must understand that a physical smart card should be launched in this regard. Otherwise, NCMC or Singara Chennai cards should be made accessible to other methods of transport such as suburban and MRTS trains.
Ms. Gadpalli says that if this physical card is connected to a number and a person, the target subsidy can also reach the people. “For example, women have free travel in some MTC buses. Similarly, if the government is going to bring more such schemes for a low -income group or a subsidized journey for a certain section of the population, a physical card will be very helpful,” she says.
Lacunai in the system
She says that the city’s transport system is lacquer. It is a bus stop or a suburban, metro or MRTS station, integration of transport modes, frequency of services, or access to signing direction directing passengers at a station, there are issues there. “I am glad that we have a functional kama unlike many other states, and such initiatives are coming. But to use public transport, to get more people, need to do much,” she says. In addition, airing the entire bus fleet will ensure that everyone gets high quality public transport, Ms. Gadpalli.
“This project will be more impressive, and it is also possible to attract people for public transport in the future with such an initiative, provided that the city is prioritizing the frequency of public transport services, addressing the first and final-mile connectivity, and prioritizing investing in public transport by improving public transport infrastructure,” Sri Srinivasan.
