The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) in partnership with WhatsApp has launched a chatbot-based QR ticketing service in order to make the city's rapid transit system more user-friendly.
Through this service, passengers will be able to buy a single-journey QR code ticket either on the Namma Metro app or through WhatsApp.
On Tuesday, November 1, the first day of the launch, nearly 2,000 customers availed the service, as per reports. AS Shankar, the executive director (operations and maintenance) of BMRCL, was quoted as saying that more than 65% of these were bought through the WhatsApp chatbot, Bhagya.
How passengers can book tickets on WhatsApp?
Commuters will be required to text a 'hi' to the number +91 8105556677 on WhatsApp. Then, they will have to choose from options of recharging their metro travel pass and purchasing single journey tickets. The chatbot is integrated with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) powered payment options. So, the ticket can be purchased by selecting the station of boarding and destination.
These tickets stay valid till the end of a serviceable day. But if not used by the end of the day, commuters can also cancel the tickets and get their money refunded, according to BMRCL.
In addition, the chatbot, available in English and Kannada, also provides customers with the option of recharging smartcards and providing information about the closest metro station to the commuter's current location, metro train timings at various stations, and the cost of traveling between two particular stations.
More details
BMRCL has claimed that it is the first transit service globally to enable end-to-end QR ticketing on WhatsApp.
"The process of making the payment is a seamless experience that gives users the option to pay without leaving the WhatsApp chat interface. After choosing their travel details, users are given the option to pay using payments on WhatsApp by authenticating the transaction using their UPI pin," the BMRCL said.
Further, WhatsApp said in a statement that the chatbot is an example of integrating organisations to make users' experiences better across sectors.
"This is yet another great example of how organizations across sectors, from the largest transportation service to the smallest retail business, can transform their customers' experience using the WhatsApp Platform," said Abhijit Bose, head of WhatsApp India.
