Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro Rail will have two types of fares: a contactless smart card and a contactless smart token. The automated system has been specially developed for Metro use. Passengers can top up, recharge the cards and also use valid credit/ debit cards for buying and recharging.
Though the payment options are known, the exact fare has been kept a close secret. A senior officer gave a rather peculiar reason for not disclosing the fare. “We will disclose the fare, once it is confirmed that the Prime Minister is inaugurating the Metro Rail. Presently, there is too much of confusion, once it is clear that it will be finally inaugurated, then only will the fares be disclosed,” he said.
Last-minute work is being completed and the stage is set for the inauguration. According to sources, the Telangana state government wants all aspects of the 30 km stretch to be ready so that there is no problem when inaugurating it.
The automated fare collection system will be sensitive to the paid and unpaid areas of the station and the billing cycle will start only once a passenger enters the automated paid gates and exits it.
Those who are not frequent passengers can opt for contactless tokens and also pre-paid options. For contactless smart cards, the fare between two Metro Rail stations will be deducted automatically at the exit gate.
The system has been developed to handle high traffic and will also keep a tab on passengers till they exit the Metro station.
