Plan for smart ride on train, bus, Metro

MUMBAI: Commuters will be able to use one smart card to travel on trains, buses, taxis and catamarans in the region in near future.
The urban development ministry, which is pushing for the card, recently held a meeting with senior officials of the railways, BEST, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation and civic bodies of Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar.
According to MMRDA joint project director Dilip Kawathkar, the central push is directed at having a national common mobility card. The Centre has identified UTI Infrastructure and Technology Services Ltd, a Government of Indian undertaking, to be the national technology aggregator for the system. UTI Infrastructure will offer MMRDA and transit corporations services to implement the unified ticketing solutions, ‘More Mumbai’. Kawathkar said initially, there would be a common card for rail, Metro and bus and later, it would be extended to water transport and taxis. Kawatkhar said not only were city transport organizations keen on the card but civic bodies of Ulhasnagar and Vasai-Virar were also interested.