CUMTA to roll out common ticketing app by April

The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) will roll out a common ticketing system application by April this year.

The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) will roll out a common ticketing system application by April this year.

The app will integrate the three public transport operators in the city, namely the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai Metro Rail, and the suburban train services of the Southern Railway.

A senior official of the CUMTA said the common ticketing system faced some initial delays due to issues in getting permission from the Railway Board for integrating the fares of the suburban train services with the app. The Board gave the go-ahead for the same in December last year.

The common ticketing system is, at present, in the final stages, with the online ticketing system for the MTC in the process of being developed. The other modes, Metro and suburban trains, already have online ticketing systems in place, the official said. 

As the CUMTA plans to roll out the common ticketing system, the Singara Chennai card introduced by the MTC has been a hit among commuters. The smart travel card has been the first step in upgrading the ticketing system of the MTC where ticket fares would be deducted with the swipe of a card in electronic ticketing machines. The Singara Chennai card was launched to help commuters purchase bus and Metro tickets all over the country.