Hyderabad Metro to offer cashless rides via PhonePe now

Hyderabad: PhonePe, India's leading digital payments platform today announced that it has partnered with L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (Hyderabad Metro) to provide frictionless, contactless and safe payment options to commuters across Hyderabad, according a company press release.

Commuters who use these services every day will now be able to book digital QR-based tickets on the PhonePe Switch platform. They just need to scan the e-ticket on their phones at the entry and exit gates of the Hyderabad Metro to complete their journey. The commuters will no longer have to stand in queues to get a token or buy a pass. Additionally, this partnership also helps the Hyderabad Metro authorities to manage the operations smoothly, the release added.

PhonePe aims to solve the pressing need for contactless payments for public transport users, especially as unlocking gathers steam across the country. As part of the partnership with Hyderabad Metro, PhonePe will enable 3 key services for commuters in phases - booking of tickets/passes on PhonePe Switch, recharge of the physical smart card on Switch and lastly, scan and pay at the Metro station counters to get tokens.

In the first phase, booking of single journey and return journey tickets on PhonePe Switch has been enabled. The other two services will be enabled soon.

Sharing his thoughts about the partnership, Vivek Lohcheb, Vice President - Offline Business Development, PhonePe said "we are excited to have partnered with Hyderabad Metro to enable digital QR tickets for commuters across all 56 stations of Hyderabad. This solution helps metro authorities to enable tickets by ensuring zero contact with customers, thus improving operations as well as ensuring safety for their employees while for commuters, they don't have to go through the hassle of standing in a queue and increasing their touchpoints."

He said "we are also in talks with other metro operators in the country and would like to partner with them. We believe the digital QR product will be a key driver of safety and convenience while acting as another step forward towards achieving the vision of a digital and cashless India," the release stated.

Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited NVS Reddy said "we have partnered with PhonePe to expand options for digital ticket purchases considering the safety and convenience of our commuters."

He added "we believe our commuters will find it useful and adopt digital tickets in a big way. It will help us utilise our resources more efficiently and save time for our commuters who don't need to stand in queues anymore. With greater use of Metro, it will also help decongest our city."