KOCHI:
The Kochi1 card, a joint effort by Kochi Metro Rail Corporation (KMRL) and Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, has gone live for Kochi residents commuting by buses.
The services which have been rolled out in 50 buses currently, will be further extended to cover a large number of city buses. The card is seen as a major convenience for people using public modes of transport in the city and with this extension of services, Kochi1 has become India’s first Open Loop Interoperable EMV card for public transport.
As an initial offer for the bus commuters, Axis Bank would provide 100% discount on the card fee on the Kochi1 card for a duration of one month and to provide an extra boost to the usage of the card, bus operators are providing a 5% discount on the tickets. This offer is in addition to the 20% Discount on Metro rides and 33% Discount on the Metro trip passes. Commuters also benefit from various discount offers from a range of merchants across Kochi.
In line with the Indian Government’s vision of the Common Mobility Card, KMRL and Axis Bank had launched Kochi1 card in June 2017 to offer an integrated payment solution for all modes of transport on a single card. The two organizations have joined hands with seven private bus operators that run over a 1,000 buses in the city, to facilitate cashless fare collection & ticketing solutions for the commuters.
Private bus operators on- boarded –
1. Kochi Metropolitan Transport Co-operative Society Ltd
2. Perfect Bus Metro Services L.L.P
3. Kochi wheelz United L.L.P
4. My Metro L.L.P
5. Muziris L.L.P
6. Prateeksha Transport Operators Organisation Private Ltd.
7. Greater Cochin Bus Transport L.L.P
Kochi1 cardholders can now easily manage the card through the Kochi1 app which enables the commuters to track the bus, buy tickets, check the current balance on their card, reload their card through any debit/credit card, generate mini statement w.r.t. card usage and check timetables, fare details, and even block their cards. Currently, customers can purchase and recharge the Kochi1card at select Axis Bank Branches. It will soon be available at various retail and merchant outlets across the city.
Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Moghe, Executive Vice President & Head- Cards & Payments, Axis Bank said, “We are glad that the partnership which started two years ago with KMRL has significantly enhanced the digital infrastructure and convenience of public transport in the city. In such a short duration, we have seen great acceptance of the product, with Kochi residents making cashless payments that are secure, efficient and convenient. We feel privileged to be associated with KMRL and the private bus operators to offer a world-class solution to the Kochi citizens.”
He further added “We are in the journey to make smartcards ubiquitous with payments and it is encouraging to receive the immense support and response from various partners – especially bus owners and operators in the city. Axis Bank has always been at the forefront of promoting a digitized economy and we are confident that the Kochi1 Card is a step towards that, as India continues to take rapid strides towards becoming a ‘less-cash’ economy’.
”The new system would bring about extensive usage of the metro card and would go a long way in ensuring multimodal integration of transportation facilities. Moreover larger experience awaits the users of the card and this model created by Axis bank in association with KMRL would certainly be taken up by similar institutions across the country”, said A P M Mohammed Hanish, MD KMRL.
