CHENNAI: Within just five months after the introduction of UPI and card payment options in buses, most MTC bus conductors have begun to decline payments via digital modes for purchasing tickets. “After they introduced new electronic ticketing machines (ETM), I was able to pay via UPI payment once for my ticket on a deluxe bus service. However, conductors now cite excuses like crowding in buses and software glitches to demand cash payments,” a daily commuter from Ambattur said.
Although most conductors now carry ETMs and provide printed tickets, the touted benefit of travelling cashless in city buses has not been realised. According to conductors, the UPI payment option is not feasible for short-distance journeys and is only used in long-distance buses.
“Collecting fare via UPI is cumbersome since the buses are always crowded and ticket issuing would get delayed. The ETMs are often affected by network failures and snags,” said a conductor of bus 40A.
Conductor of bus 70V said, “Initially, the machine supported UPI payments. But lately, it has been bogged down by software issues, and it also doesn’t generate a QR code when I click on the UPI option. We are willing to use this machine if the issue is resolved.”
While this may be the case with MTC buses, long-distance buses operated by SETC are garnering good response for digital payments. The only setback here is the occasional network error. An SETC bus conductor operating on the Chennai-Bengaluru route said, “A lot of passengers avail themselves of digital payment options. If a payment fails due to network error, the amount usually gets refunded soon.”
Sources from MTC said UPI payments have seen little success in MTC buses as each transaction takes an average of 30 seconds to process, they added. Further, they said that with high ridership, UPI payments are a hassle for conductors and therefore, they insist on cash payment.
“We are also trying to improve the software and provide necessary training to conductors to keep the software updated,” a senior MTC official said. “Plans are also under way to introduce a National Common Mobility Card for MTC buses alone, which could remove the need for exact tender and make the fare collection quicker,” he added.