Single smart card for different modes of public transport soon: BMRCL chief

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director Anjum Parwez on Thursday said soon passengers depending on different modes of public transport like Metro, cab and buses can travel using a single smart card.

Speaking at a session on ”The C.A.S.E. for Future Mobility” at the ‘Bengaluru Tech Summit-23’ here, he said the Union Government has planned to introduce a single smart card for the passengers traveling in different public transports.

It is a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, six City Corporations will get the facility soon.

Bangalore Metro was committed to ensure eco-friendly activities and in order to encourage eco-friendly traffic systems, Parwez said, Metro stations were facilitated with two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicle charging units.

Uber India Director Sanjay Chadha, who was part of the panel said the passengers should shift from cabs to public transport like buses to ensure free flow of traffic and to reduce traffic congestion. Uber has introduced electric bus service in Mumbai and Delhi in this regard, he said and added that similar services will be introduced in Bengaluru too.

He also informed that by 2030, the Uber booking system aims to have 100 per cent electric vehicles. Chairman and Managing Director of Purple Mobility Solutions Prasanna Patwardhan said the traffic and transport system has been turning into eco-friendly in the last few years and it is a good development.

With strengthened technology, the method of booking cabs, traffic administration, operations, signal systems have been becoming smart, he said.

Beta Technologies Director Blake Opsahi said India has great opportunity for electric aircrafts.

With around 200 airports, India has excellent aviation infrastructure and the number of private planes and air taxis will increase in the future, he said.