From Friday, pay bus fares in Delhi using metro smart cards

Passengers travelling via Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses will be able to pay for their bus rides using metro smart cards from August 24, State Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Monday.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the scheme, which was first announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this year, is finally set to roll-out from Friday on all 5,500 buses after a five-month delay.

The 'common mobility card' facility can be availed by any passenger by presenting her/his metro smart card to the bus conductor. The fare would be deducted after the card is swiped.

Gahlot is said to have held a high-level meeting on Monday to finalise the launch of the service, which was attended by DTC Managing Director Manoj Kumar, MD of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Mangu Singh, Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) MD M Rajshekhar and transport department officials.

“People will be able to use their metro cards in all buses of Delhi from August 24. I have directed officers to start an advertising campaign so that people are aware of the service,” the transport minister said.

Gahlot added that even though the metro has reached every corner of the city, DTC and cluster buses still carry more passengers on a daily basis. “Hence, the common mobility card project is vital to integrate the city’s two biggest public transport systems."

According to government data, around 26 lakh people travel via Delhi Metro, while 35 lakh people avail state-run bus services.

The initial launch date for the services was set to be April 1. However, the project got delayed after DTC, which operates 3,750 buses in the city, failed to timely procure secure access module (SAM) chips from South Korea. The chips are required to be fitted in every electronic ticketing machine (ETM) to enable e-payment.

“Nearly 2,000 chips arrived in May and 3,000 more arrived recently. The process took time because in a single day, DMRC can energise or calibrate only 150 ETMs,” a DTC official told the paper.