Metro and RTC Bus Ride Combo Mobility Card: Telangana Government Initiative

Hyderabad: The state government of Telangana is launching a new initiative called 'T-MaaS' (Telangana Mobility as a Service) to provide a common mobility card for seamless travel across various transport services. This project, which has been in the works for years, will initially integrate the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) and Hyderabad Metro Rail, allowing commuters to use a single card for both services.

The T-MaaS card, which functions similarly to the metro cards, will allow users to easily travel by both buses and the metro. The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation is currently testing tap machines on its buses to ensure smooth use of the common mobility card. Additionally, the RTC is rolling out 'Intelligent Ticket Issuing Machines' (i-TIMS) on approximately 2,800 city buses to support digital payments.

The Hyderabad Metro Rail is already equipped with the technology to accept these common mobility cards through its ticket scanners. The TGSRTC will soon have tap machines installed at bus entry points. Once the installation is complete, the common card can be used across both the bus and metro services.

The Hyderabad Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (HUMTA), which manages city transport and traffic, is leading this project. Around 25 lakh RTC passengers and 5 lakh metro users will be integrated into the system. HUMTA officials mentioned that the cards can be topped up using UPI payments, making the process even more convenient for commuters. The cards will be available at metro stations and RTC counters once the system is fully operational.

However, the project does not yet include the MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport Service) trains. The MMTS service has seen a drop in ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic, as more passengers prefer metro services and women opt for free bus rides. For now, the railway authorities are not ready to implement the common mobility card system in MMTS operations.

This initiative is expected to make travel in Hyderabad more convenient and efficient for commuters.