CHENNAI (Metro Rail News):Â Chennai Metro Rail is set to introduce WhatsApp e-tickets in Phase I and Phase I Extension project, which covers nearly 54 km of the city. It will make travelling smoother and more convenient for commuters. The new feature will allow commuters to purchase tickets for their journey via the popular chat application, eliminating the need to stand in long lines at ticket counters. This will help them to get the required information quickly.
According to the official, “Commuters can now use WhatsApp to quickly generate a ticket for their journey. To do so, they must send a message to a designated WhatsApp number, indicating their origin and destination stations. Upon receipt of this information, commuters will be taken to a payment gateway where they can use net banking, mobile wallets, and credit, or debit cards to complete the transaction. Once the payment has been made, they will be able to download their ticket in a matter of minutes.”
The officials said that with the introduction of this system, there would be no need to queue up for tickets. Instead, commuters can flash their WhatsApp tickets through Chennai Metro Rail gates and take a ride.
Since the introduction of QR code tickets for contactless transactions by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) amid the pandemic, the number of complaints from commuters has reduced. However, some commuters still face glitches while using the QR code tickets. This is because the CMRL commenced operations in the city in 2015 when only tokens and smart cards were available for commuters.
