Mumbai: Commuters are increasingly turning to smart ticketing options, with a significant number of passengers utilizing the Mobile Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) app and Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs). From January 1st to May 26th, 2023, a remarkable 13.93 crore passengers chose these digital ticketing methods, resulting in a daily average of 9.61 lakh people leveraging these facilities.
During this period, a total of 55.29 crore tickets were booked through station windows, UTS app, and ATVMs across Mumbai's central railway division, amounting to a substantial earning of Rs 525.42 crores. Notably, the tickets booked through the UTS app and ATVMs accounted for 31.58% of this total revenue, reaching an impressive Rs 165.97 crores.
Over 25% passengers use UTS app and ATVMs for ticketing on an average day
The Central Railway's data reveals that on an average day, 25.23% of passengers across Mumbai Division utilise the UTS app and ATVMs, accounting for 31.58% of the daily ticket sales earnings. These figures reflect the increasing preference among Mumbai commuters for smart ticketing options, as they offer greater convenience and streamline the ticketing process
"The popularity of the UTS app and ATVMs among Mumbai Division's passengers has been highly encouraging, as demonstrated by the substantial incremental growth in UTS ticket usage. The convenience and user-friendly features added by the railway administration to the UTS app have contributed to this positive trend" said Dr Shivraj Manaspure, Chief Public Relations Officer of CR, highlighted several new features that have enhanced the commuters' experience.
Features of UTS app
The UTS app now allows the renewal or issuance of multiple season tickets for the Mumbai Suburban section. Furthermore, users can now book paperless season tickets for the current date itself, provided they are outside the geo-fenced area. Previously, the validity of paperless season tickets only commenced from the following day.
"To facilitate the ticket booking process, the UTS app offers a default option for suburban stations, simplifying the selection of source and destination stations by filtering and displaying only the relevant stations falling under the suburban section. Additionally, for non-suburban stations, users can book UTS tickets within a 20 km range from the source station, while for suburban stations, the range has been limited to 10 km" said Dr Manaspure.
"These user-friendly features have significantly boosted the adoption of UTS tickets, particularly for commuters whose offices and companies fall within a 5-10 km radius from the stations. The ability to book tickets conveniently from their workplaces has alleviated the last-minute rush and added to the overall growth in smart ticketing" further added Dr Manaspure.
Moreover, the availability of the UTS app in Marathi, Hindi, and English languages has further enhanced its appeal and accessibility to a wider range of users.
"As Mumbai's transportation system evolves with the integration of digital solutions, the success of the UTS app and ATVMs highlights the potential for continued advancements in smart ticketing technology to improve the commuting experience for millions of passengers in the city" said an official of CR.
