WhatsApp bus ticketing system could start in 2 months: Delhi Transport Minister

The Delhi government will roll out its WhatsApp-based bus ticketing system within a few months, with the trial period of the project starting in two weeks.

It is to be noted that in February this year, the Delhi government had relaxed the height and experience criteria for recruitment of women drivers for DTC and cluster buses in the capital.

New Delhi: The Delhi government will roll out its WhatsApp-based bus ticketing system within a few months with the trial period of the project starting in a fortnight, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said. Also in the pipeline is a one-way ticketing system that will allow users to book cars, metro tickets and bus tickets, he said.

“We have already collaborated with WhatsApp for this initiative. There will only be digital money. Or you can buy the NCMC card or the digital ticket. This will also give a huge boost to digital money,” Gehlot told PTI. The government had recently said in a statement that an estimated 40 lakh people travel by bus in Delhi and the number is expected to rise to 60 lakh by 2025.

The minister said the digital ticketing system will check theft and theft, which usually occurs in the handling of cash. The WhatsApp-based bus ticketing system will work on similar lines as those in use for the Delhi Metro, officials had said earlier.

Gahlot said the WhatsApp bus ticketing system should be rolled out within two months. “We plan to start a trial run around January 15 and then we will take one or two months to fully launch it,” he added. Delhi has more than 7,000 government buses, including 4,000 DTC and 3,000 cluster buses.

The government is also planning to launch a separate app for booking a one-way ticket, he added. “The same ticket will be used for commuting in a car, metro and bus and will cater to commuters from origin to destination

“The central government is pushing for an Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). The app will be launched and the aggregators that will be on the ONDC platform will of course be part of our application,” said the minister.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) already has a WhatsApp-based ticketing system. The service was launched in May this year and subsequently expanded to all corridors of the rapid transit system, including the Gurugram Rapid Metro.

To purchase Delhi Metro tickets, passengers need to send a ‘Hello’ to +91 9650855800 on WhatsApp or scan the provided QR code with their smartphones. Ticket cancellations are not allowed in the WhatsApp system. A marginal convenience fee is applied on transactions made through a credit or debit card, while no convenience fee is charged on UPI-based transactions.