CHENNAI: Transport Minister S S Sivasankar on Monday launched the ‘Singara Chennai’ smart card, a prepaid card enabling commuters to access transportation services on metro trains, MTC buses, and other platforms that accept the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
In the first phase, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), in collaboration with the State Bank of India (SBI), will distribute 50,000 cards free of charge.
These cards will be available to the public at 20 MTC depots, including Chennai Central, CMBT, Broadway, Poonamallee, Tambaram, Thiruvanmiyur, Redhills, Velachery, Guindy, Avadi, T Nagar, Ambattur Industrial Estate, Adyar, Iyyappanthangal, Kilambakkam, Vadapalani, Sriperumbudur, Perambur and other places.
MTC Managing Director Alby John Varghese said about 98.5% of tickets are currently issued through electronic ticketing machines in MTC. He added, “The Singara Chennai card can be used to pay for tickets on MTC buses, metro trains, and metro parking. Additionally, it can be used on any platform that supports NCMC.”
The public can recharge the prepaid card at MTC counters across the city or through online portals. "We have already provided training to transport staff for this initiative and will also conduct specialised training for accepting payments via smart cards. Additionally, a facility to recharge the card directly through MTC conductors will be introduced soon," added Varghese.
The launch event, held at the MTC’s Central depot here was attended by departmental officials.