KOCHI: The much awaited multi-purpose Kochi-One smart card for commuters will be launched during the inaugural function of the Metro project on June 17. The passengers can use the co-branded cards for taking various modes of transport including private buses, boats and also for mercantile and internet transactions. It can be linked to any bank account of the user so that money can be easily transferred as per requirement. The cards using chip-card technology will be available at all Metro stations and can be purchased by paying Rs 150.
Kochi Metro Rail Limited is launching the smart card in association with the Axis Bank. It is the first open loop card system based on Europay, MasterCard and Visa introduced in a metro system. Ernst & Young is the consultant on developing the smart card system for KMRL. They were earlier planning to launch the card before commissioning. There are plans to introduce a system called ‘Click and Collect’ wherein the merchandise ordered by a person through the card is made available at the Metro stations when they arrive.
