Automation: Indian Transportation Authority Still Working to Decrease Cash USe
- The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is currently implementing a new automated top-up system: this deployment should take seven to eight months. For the sake of time saving, the system called automatic fare collection (AFC) will automatically reload travellers’ prepaid cards when necessary.
- The DMRC is also working to enable online top-ups just as well.
- As over 6.1 million cards are now in circulation in the Delhi Metro Network, this equipment might help relieve cash counters.
- The DMRC has already been working on automating transportation processes, through for instance, multiservice projects relying on its machines (mobile top-up, bill payments, etc. –see December 2010 Insight). It started proposing combined payment and transportation features very early, and partnered with Citi India to do so. In 2008, for instance, the DRMC helped designing the first cobranded card with both transportation and (contact/contactless) payment features in India (see May-June 2008 Insight).
- Also, the DMRC and Citi India are also partaking in the transaction dematerialisation efforts promoted by the RBI (see December 2011 Insight). This initiative is one more step towards reducing the use of cash –customers’ favourite means of payment in India.