Bengaluru Metro to launch 'tailor-made' passes for corporate firms

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has decided to launch corporate passes in an effort to attract tech parks and businesses in the city and increase ridership.

“We are planning to come up with tailor-made corporate passes," BMRCL managing director Anjum Parwez told Moneycontrol. "A company/tech park can procure passes in bulk, say 5,000 passes for instance. The dedicated passes will be co-branded with name/logo of the BMRCL and the respective company/tech park," he said.

"The companies/tech parks can charge the required amount in the cards and distribute it among employees. It will work out cheaper than cabs and also encourage more people to use public transport. When employees change workplace, firms can transfer the same card to new employees. We are planning to offer discounted rates but we haven’t yet finalised the details. We will also soon decide on the minimum number of cards that corporates are required to procure under this scheme,” he said.

Whitefield, a model Metro corridor

According to the BMRCL chief, they have already received lots of enquiries from corporate firms for passes. He's keen on the partnership with corporate firms. "It’s not just about saving money or boosting ridership, but it's at its core a relationship-building exercise. It will lead to private firms having greater ownership towards the city and its assets," he said.

The move to introduce dedicated passes for corporates is significant particularly in the context of Whitefield becoming the first tech corridor in Bengaluru to be connected by Metro, on March 25. Namma Metro work on the city's other tech corridors on Outer Ring Road and Electronics City is in progress.

"We haven't received an official communication from BMRCL yet but it sounds like a good idea," Krishna Kumar Gowda, general manager, Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), an umbrella organization of major tech companies of the city's tech-corridor, said.

"In fact, we used to hire BMTC buses and have dedicated passes for employees before Covid-19. We have 70-80 major companies as members and each have an average of 1,000 employees. Whitefield and Outer Ring Road Metro corridors will facilitate easier transit options for lakhs of employees," he said.

Parwez describes Whitefield Metro (KR Puram-Whitefield) as a 'model Metro corridor' for the rest of the country. “In Whitefield, all Metro medians are maintained by corporate firms. International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB) is building a walkway from Pattandur Agrahara Metro station so the employees have direct access to their office premises from the station concourse itself. Painting of pillars and viaducts on that stretch was also was done by in partnership with corporates.”

BMRCL to allow up to 10 passengers in one QR-code ticket

Currently, passengers have the option of purchasing tokens, smart cards, and mobile phone QR-based tickets. BMRCL offers 5% discounts to customers who use smart cards and QR-based tickets. Additionally, BMRCL had introduced one-day, three-day, and five-day passes that gave customers unlimited access to the Metro during that time. If businesses are interested, according to Parwez, BMRCL could facilitate monthly passes so that employees can undertake unlimited Metro travel in a month.

He added that BMRCL will soon allow up to 10 passengers to travel using one QR-code ticket. “This will help passengers travelling in a group so one ticket on the phone needs to be scanned and the system will allow up to 10 passengers through Automatic Fare Collection gates."

4 lakh ridership after Byappanahalli-KR Puram link completion

The Metro chief said they are expecting a daily ridership of 1.25 lakh for the KR Puram-Whitefield section. “We are expecting footfall from techies working in ITPL/Hoodi and staying in Whitefield/Kadugodi. During weekends, we might draw in crowds headed for shopping malls. Once the KR Puram and Byappanahalli section is connected, we are likely to draw an additional 4 lakh ridership,” he said. At present, Bengaluru Metro’s daily ridership stands at 5.3-5.6 lakh.