In a recent update, the Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) has reported a substantial increase in passenger ridership for the month of August. The data reveals that 85.89 lakh passengers utilized the Metro Rail system during August, marking a significant rise of 3.36 lakh passengers compared to the previous month.
Since the beginning of the year in January 2023, CMRL has witnessed a remarkable total of 5.81 crore passengers traveling on their city Metro Rail network. This surge in ridership is indicative of the growing popularity and convenience of the metro system in Chennai.
Breaking down the monthly ridership figures, July recorded 82.53 lakh passengers, and this number surged in August, reaching 85.89 lakh passengers. Notably, the highest single-day ridership occurred on August 11, with a remarkable 3.29 lakh passengers commuting via the Metro Rail.
In addition to these figures, the CMRL also revealed insights into the ticketing systems used by passengers. During August, a total of 31.05 lakh passengers made use of the QR Code ticketing system. This included 2.10 lakh online QR code users, 1 lakh static QR code users, and a substantial 24.64 lakh paper QR code users. Additionally, 1.59 lakh passengers opted for Paytm, and 1.70 lakh passengers utilized the CMRL`s Whatsapp ticketing system.
Furthermore, the travel card ticketing system attracted 47.56 lakh passengers, while 3.26 lakh passengers preferred the token system. A smaller number of passengers, 5,685 to be precise, opted for the group ticketing system. Impressively, 3.95 lakh passengers embraced the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) or the Singara Chennai card, highlighting the convenience of these card-based payment methods.
To encourage the usage of these various ticketing systems, CMRL offers a generous 20 percent discount on all ticket types, including Metro travel cards, mobile QR code tickets (single, return, group tickets, and QR trip passes), as well as Whatsapp and Paytm transactions.
In a bid to enhance customer convenience further, CMRL recently introduced the option to book tickets through their Whatsapp ticketing system. Passengers can now avail themselves of this service by simply messaging +91 83000 86000 on Whatsapp.