Digital Metro Ticketing Crosses 50% Mark; Fare Revenue, Ridership on the Rise
reveals that online transactions via UPI, Maha Card (National Common Mobility Card), POS, and the recently introduced WhatsApp ticketing have consistently accounted for 49% to 51% of daily ticket sales in recent weeks.
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This marks a sharp increase from March 2024, when the share stood at 41%.
, which completed two years of operations in December 2024, experienced steady growth in ridership and
. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Metro recorded over 25.5 million passengers and earned Rs41.87 crore in fare box revenue, with digital payments contributing more than Rs17 crore—around 41%. This trend continued into 2024-25, with revenue increasing to Rs44.1 crore, with over Rs22 crore revenue generated through online transactions.The first four months of 2025 further underlined this trend.
Between January and April, Metro clocked an average daily ridership of around 91,000, with monthly totals reaching approximately 27.28 lakh.
The one-lakh daily ridership milestone was frequently crossed during this period, indicating consistent public adoption.Officials attribute this digital push in part to the launch of WhatsApp ticketing in June 2024. "Within its first week, WhatsApp ticketing crossed 1,000 daily users, and it has only grown since," a MahaMetro official said. Additionally, the Metro's decision to revise and reduce fare slabs in March 2024 played a vital role in boosting footfall, making the service more accessible and appealing to cost-conscious commuters.When compared with other Maharashtra cities, Nagpur stands out. The Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1, which started in November 2023, recorded only 1.65 million passengers and Rs4.42 crore in fare revenue in 2023-24. Of this, just 35% came via digital transactions. Pune Metro, however, continues to lead in digital adoption, with an average of 75% daily digital usage, occasionally reaching as high as 82%.With its growing ridership and increasing digital penetration, Nagpur Metro is emerging as a regional benchmark for efficient, tech-driven urban mobility. Sources indicate that the annual report accounts for data only up to March 2024, and the actual digital percentage may have already surpassed the 50% mark.
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