[Divya Sharan]

Yes, instead of deducting balance after swiping out, I too feel that max charge should be deducted at swipe in and the balance credited back after swipe out. This would eliminate a certain edge case scenario where a person can use the card for other transactions before the auto timeout functionality deducts bus fares.

[GTO]

A step in the right direction from the IT capital of India . I hate cash (& cheques), and love digital payments!

Originally Posted by sukhoi30

It is a welcome step but if many services are integrated with one card

Well said. I think this is a stepping stone; in the not-so-distant future, payments will be via our smartphones. My sis (who's visiting from California) says that she uses her smartphone for payments (Apple Pay) as much as she swipes her credit card! Smartphones will be the default payment mode one day, and such moves will only help with the transition.

[Dieseltuned]

If I remember currently MMRDA in Mumbai is also working on a single card that can be used across all modes of transport. Trains (CR and WR), Bus (BEST, though not sure whether it will cover the NMMT), Monorail and Metro.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

If I remember currently MMRDA in Mumbai is also working on a single card that can be used across all modes of transport. Trains (CR and WR), Bus (BEST, though not sure whether it will cover the NMMT), Monorail and Metro.

Was almost responding and I read this.

I recalled how Mumbai also had this system introduced way back in 2007 & failed.

It was called "Go Mumbai" and was introduced in BEST buses and also could be used on Mumbai's local trains with a similar concept.

THE GO MUMBAI CARD

• The card allows a passenger to travel on trains without standing in ticket queues
• Commuter has to swipe the card at validators before and after a journey
• Fare is automatically deducted from the prepaid amount of the card

Source

On why it failed

But the dreams crashed after Kaizen Limited, the company involved in the project, failed to supply enough number of hand-held devices to check the card’s validity. Another reason for its failure was that the commuters did not find it easy to use.

According to railway officials, of the 37 lakh commuters who travel every day by CR, only 12,000 used the Go Mumbai card. Of the 33 lakh commuters on WR, only 39 used it!

OT but long before I recall how Bangalore Mirror (or was it ToI) mentioned how NICE Road was the first of its kind to have CCTV Cameras installed on its toll Plazas while the same newspaper had years before that mentioned about a news Article of the infamous runaway test driver of a Merc from a Show room apprehended near Pune only due to clues received from CCTV captures of the Toll Plazas along NH4 (then).

I was very sure about the Pre-Paid or Card system for Mumbai as I had read that in local newspaper when I was in Pune.

Not sure if BMTC is introducing something different but at least the concept was similar - Cashless Travel with a smart card.

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Was almost responding and I read this.

I recalled how Mumbai also had this system introduced way back in 2007 & failed.

It was called "Go Mumbai" and was introduced in BEST buses and also could be used on Mumbai's local trains with a similar concept.



Source

Agreed, failed due to multiple reasons. Lack of co-ordination between multiple agencies being the most likely. Currently the railways (WR and CR) and BEST have their own set of prepaid cashless cards in use.

NMMT had also introduced mobile tickets on their VOLVO fleet, not sure how succesful it is.

Regards
Dieseltuned

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

Agreed, failed due to multiple reasons. Lack of co-ordination between multiple agencies being the most likely. Currently the railways (WR and CR) and BEST have their own set of prepaid cashless cards in use.

NMMT had also introduced mobile tickets on their VOLVO fleet, not sure how succesful it is.

Regards
Dieseltuned

Thanks again. While you replied, I had to add few more details on why it failed.

These days whenever a news reports anything as revolutionary, first of its kind, Biggest in Asia or Largest in India, I always know there will be someone else already in race for this tag.

[aashishnb]

Something exactly similar to what is planned was introduced by BEST (Mumbai Bus Service) many years ago & failed. They had 2 readers - one at rear (entrance) door & another at front (exit) door.

A lot of times, people were not able to swipe the cards, sometimes one of the two or both machines were not working, customers not punching the card but claiming to have done so when asked by conducter, etc. etc.

Then, they moved to a prepaid card system, which can be used to buy the ticket from the conductor. This solves half the problem of exact change, not being able to punch, etc.

Now I think all public transport facilities in Mumbai - local trains, metro, monorail, BEST bus, NMMT bus have this prepaid card facility. But usability inter-se is not yet allowed, so one has to carry a separate card for each of them!!!

Similar cards are issued by Railways across India but by each division (e.g. western, northern, etc.) but card from one zone cant be used in all other zones. So a card from Mumbai can be used in Western & Central Railways, but not in Northern Railways!!

Ideally, banks should be allowed to issue one contact less card like a pre-paid card that can be used across all, or atleast most, of transport facilities, something like the ETC card can be used to pay toll across India.
Based on my limited knowledge, the problem with that is the machines will have to contact the central database each time - which will be expensive for smaller transactions of trains/buses of Rs.10 odd, network issues & therefore time taken during peak hours to issue a single ticket.
Therefore, the next best solution would be to allow inter-se usability across all transport modes within the cities at least.

[sidzzone]

Great move. Although the logical way to implement this is to install readers at both the doors of the bus, this wouldn't be practical, as passengers don't enter/exit the bus at the designated doors

However, one way it can be implemented is - use the conductor's machine as a reader and use the card. This ensures that the current system is not changed in a major way (passengers are still checked for tickets the same way), quick payment, no change hassles and conductors won't lose their jobs

[dass]

the Bangalore metro was already in talks with the BMTC to have one card which can work with both these service providers. With that in mind, I hope what they are now talking about is the same. They need to integrate both of them to ensure complete success.

[shady_lawyer]

Well this system has been in place in Boston for ages now. You simply use your 'T' card in every public transport system be it bus, rail or ferry. Enter from the rear door tap in, exit from the front tap out. A scanner detects an untapped card on exit. Checking is done by Inspectors carrying handheld readers which states where the card was tapped in and out, and fare deducted to prevent fare stage fraud as well.

However the population pressure in our country requires a re-calibration of technology to ensure it can cope especially in buses which are not "access controlled" like a metro system. Even the DTC mooted a proposal to enable the metro card on their buses, but those machines were disabled faster than a blink of an eye! (much like the speed governors)

If it takes off then Kudos to BMTC which in any event has been consistently rated as a good service provider along with the BEST-Suburban Network.

[condor]

Some thing I found : an early "update" from GoK:

With demonetization the talk of the town and going cashless the need of the hour, BMTC started cashless rides on a trial basis, last Monday. BMTC managing director Ekroop Caur said the service will be formally launched in January 2017.
The passenger just needs to tap a smart card on an electronic ticketing machine while boarding and alighting the bus, and the fare is deducted from the cash stored in the card. This will reduce the need to tender change to commuters and increase transparency for BMTC.

“The card is in line with the national mission of having a common mobility card. It has specifications where the card can be used for transit and non-transit transactions. The card will be launched for citizens by January 2017. Right now, we are running a trial for our staff to see if all the specifications are working or not

[procrj]

Originally Posted by dass

the Bangalore metro was already in talks with the BMTC to have one card which can work with both these service providers.

They have been in talks for a while now and nothing has come out of it. I have been using the BMRCL card for a few months now and its easy to top up and works like any other pre paid card. All BMTC needs to do is put in machines which can read the card. They can at least do this as a test for the Metro feeders that they run and maybe a couple of high traffic routes like the 500 series or 335 series volvos.

OT: The bigger problem BMTC has is their failing Volvos. On an average, everyday I see 1 post by BTP on FB regarding volvo breakdown somewhere or the other.

[dass]

Originally Posted by procrj

OT: The bigger problem BMTC has is their failing Volvos. On an average, everyday I see 1 post by BTP on FB regarding volvo breakdown somewhere or the other.

Just one? I SEE atleast 2-3 breakdowns on my way to work daily. I think once the company service contract is over, they just use their own mechanics to service them and hence the failure rate is so high.

I have myself been in a volvo which broke down twice on two different instances.