You can use Delhi Metro smart card in buses from August

NEW DELHI: Come August and Delhiites will be able to use their Metro smart cards to travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses. The Delhi government will start a pilot project under which 200 buses — 100 DTC and 100 cluster ones — will be enabled to accept Delhi Metro's smart cards, a government official said. If the pilot project is successful, the government plans to extend the facility to all buses operated by DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) that runs cluster services.

The 'common mobility card', on the lines of similar facilities available in the public transport system in cities such as London, Hong Kong and Seoul, was conceptualised in 2010. However, the project has got delayed several times. It was almost final to be launched in July 2016 but got postponed yet again.

DTC had conducted trials last year to check how the cards would work in its buses. It has also installed electronic ticketing machines (ETM) in its buses to read the mobility card and provide an e-receipt.

Transport officials said the software used by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ( DMRC) had been successfully integrated with the system at DTC and cluster buses. "All the modalities for the successful working of the common mobility card have been worked out. We plan to start the pilot project by mid-August," an official said.

One of the issues that had hampered the integration process was refund. There were apprehensions that commuters might top-up their cards from DTC and then get a refund from DMRC, which would result in revenue loss for the Metro. Sources said the issue had been sorted out now. The authorities have also solved the issue of sharing of revenue.

"The statutory clearance has been obtained by DMRC from RBI to make the common mobility card operational. At present, the integration process is in progress with the transport department," a DMRC spokesperson said.