Tram ticket payments in Kolkata to go contactless

Trams in Kolkata will go ‘cashless’, with PhonePe – the digital payments platform –providing commuters with contactless and safe payment options.

All tram conductors have been assigned a unique QR code lanyard. Commuters can ask for the fare amount (to their destination) from the conductor, scan the QR code using any UPI enabled payment app, enter the amount and UPI PIN to make the payment. Payments will be made directly from the bank account of commuters.

Currently, 25 trams in Kolkata will be digital payment-enabled covering all the six major routes operational in the city. The daily ridership is expected to be in the range of 15,000, PhonePe said in a release.

According to Vivek Lohcheb, Vice President - Offline Business Development, PhonePe, the solution allows acceptance of payments from the digital payments platform through any UPI app. “Both commuters and partners don’t have to go through the hassle of dealing with cash,” he added.