KOCHI: Kochi Metro’s initiative to promote mobile QR tickets and discourage the use of paper tickets has evoked a good response. There has been an increase in the number of passengers using QR tickets through smartphones.
The number of mobile tickets sold in Kochi Metro was below 1,000 until December 2022. In December, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) announced a major discount. As per the offer, commuters get 10% fare discount while purchasing mobile QR tickets through Kochi1 app during peak hours and 50% discount during non-peak hours.
As per this year’s ridership data, the number of mobile QR tickets sold in January has increased to more than 10 times and it further increased to 20 times in February.
The latest annual report of KMRL had suggested taking proactive measures, including offering discounts, to attract more commuters to mobile QR tickets.
Earlier KMRL had decided to do away with the existing paper ticket system by December 31, as part of its digitization move. Kochi Metro is one of the few Metro services in the country that are still using paper tickets. Hyderabad Metro and Mumbai Metro have introduced WhatsApp ticket system which attracts a large number of passengers. Aiming to promote mobile tickets, Chennai Metro is offering 20% discount for mobile QR code tickets.
“The major aim of the discount offer and the special campaign focusing on mobile ticket system is to make people realize the convenience of the mobile ticketing system. The efforts are yielding results,” said a KMRL source.
Commuters can purchase mobile QR tickets by downloading Kochi1 app from Android Play Store or App Store (iPhone). After registering on the application with an existing Kochi1 Card or without a Kochi1 Card, commuters can go to book ticket option. After selecting origin and destination stations they can easily proceed to different payment options.
But there are complaints that Kochi1 app is not user-friendly and technical issues keep many people away from using the app. “Kochi Metro can try the WhatsApp payment system which would be more convenient to people,” said Ebencer Chullikadu of Kochi Metro Passengers Association.
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