Mumbai 1 App Likely To Launch On May 1

If all goes as planned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Mumbai 1, a single ticketing app for all of the city's public transit options, on May 1 while he is in town to officially open the Waves summit.  An inter-ministry team made up of bureaucrats from Indian Railways, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and many state government ministries is working hard to fix any faults and glitches in the app while it is undergoing beta testing.  According to officials testing the software, Mumbai 1 will enable around 10.5 million users of the city's public transportation system—including suburban commuters, metro rail, monorail, and buses—to plan their trips and buy tickets on their phones, reported HT.

The home website would enable visitors to examine maps, buy tickets, and plan a trip, officials said.  When the option to buy tickets is selected, the app will provide icons for the various public transport options, such as the Chalo app for BEST buses, the UTS app for Indian Railways and apps for the corresponding metro corridors.  After choosing their class of travel and the boarding and alighting locations, users can book tickets using UPI apps or an e-wallet. The relevant fare will then be displayed.

Officials said that as of now, they don't know if the Mumbai 1 app will have those features or if users would be sent to the applications of other public transport providers depending on their itinerary, reported HT. Engineers are currently trying to address issues with the app, such as making sure that the trip plans it generates match the best way to get from one place to another.

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For instance, the app recommends taking a bus from Airoli to Vashi, then a harbour line train from Vashi to Kurla, a main line train to Dadar and finally a western line local from Dadar to Bandra for a trip from Airoli to Bandra. Taking a local train from Airoli to Vashi and then another trans harbour train from Vashi to Bandra would be much simpler and faster, the official said, reported HT.

Another problem is that the app's stated fares do not correspond to the actual fares for trips that cross both the Central and Western Railways, according to another official.  The plan to roll out the app on May 1 was met with a lacklustre reception from associations of railway commuters.  For the past three to four years, they have been hearing about this popular mobility software.  The public will benefit if the government launches the app on May 1st, said commuters' organisation member Kailash Verma.