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eMoney News

Transit card 'to offer integrated travel in India'
10 Feb 2010

A new contactless smart card that is being developed by the Urban Development Ministry could soon offer public transport users integrated travel across the whole of India. 

Passengers on trains, buses and metro services in the country will be able to use just one transit card to pay for their journeys on various modes of transport all over the nation, the Hindustan Times reports. 

The system will initially be trialled in Delhi, shortly before the Commonwealth Games commence in October. 

"It will be a multipurpose card, valid for all operators - government as well as private - and on all modes of local travel," explains India's Urban Development Secretary Shri Ramachandran.

The contactless smart card technology will be implemented in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mumbai and Hyderabad, with taxi payments hoped to follow shortly after the initial introduction of the system. 

Residents of Bolton, Greater Manchester are already enjoying the benefits of such a system thanks to the sQuidcard, which can be used on all Arriva buses in the town.

Taxi payments are set to follow later in the year.