In its efforts to promote digital ticketing and enhance e-payments, Kochi Metro Rail Limited has introduced e-ticketing facility on WhatsApp platform. Passengers can now book digital tickets through WhatsApp by sending message to KMRL’s WhatsApp number 9188957488.
The commuters will get 10 per cent discount during normal hours and 50 per cent discount during non-peak hours (5.45 am to 7 am and 10 pm to 11 pm) on the original fares. This initiative will promote digital ticketing, enhance paperless ticketing and avoid queuing at ticket counters, Loknath Behera, Managing Director, KMRL, said.
The facility was inaugurated by actress Miya Geeorge.
KMRL and its ticketing partner Axis Bank are experimenting on using of Koch–1 card for commuting in buses, feeder buses, feeder auto rickshaws in addition to Kochi Metro and Water Metro.
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The Kochi Metro is taking steps to reach an average ridership of one lakh per day.
“We will also introduce RPT interoperable tickets for Metro and Water Metro. Other commuter beneficial schemes will be introduced to increase ridership,” the Managing Director told reporters.
According to Behera, KMRL progressed in all segments, including fare box and non-fare box revenue, ridership, etc. in 2023. The daily ridership grew to 94,982 in December 2023 from 79,130 in January 2023.
Over 10 crore people travelled in Kochi Metro since it started operations out of which about 3.11 crore travelled in 2023. Kochi Metro operated 86,845 trips in 2023 where the company garnered ₹96.08 crore as fare box income.
The average monthly ridership in 2023 was 25,97,423 and the per day ridership went above one lakh on 40 days last year, he added.
KMRL is working at various levels to improve public transport service, including efficient last mile connectivity through safe, accessible and comfortable NMT (non-motorised transport) infrastructure in order to improve the transport and travel experience for the people of Kochi.
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Under NMT projects, KMRL is working on enhancing the ‘basic infrastructure and amenities’ for the pedestrians, which is missing in cities. The total estimate cost of NMT work carried out by KMRL is ₹116.73 crore.
Out of the 23 boats, only 12 boats have been received from Cochin Shipyard. Currently, three routes are being operated with 12 numbers of 100 passenger boats. Over 14.5 lakhs passengers travelled in Kochi Water Metro till January 7, 2024 with an average daily ridership of 5,660 passengers, which is beyond the company’s expectation, he added.