City buses have begun a contactless-ticket trial on two trunk routes. For the first month, only the earliest and latest services accept a bank card or a phone tap. Midday buses still use the paper ticket so conductors can compare the two systems on the same route.
The transport body said the limit is deliberate. Readers failed in a smaller pilot when the bus was crowded and the conductor had no time to help. Early and late services carry fewer passengers and a calmer door.
What happens next
Unions asked for a written rule that a failed tap is not treated as fare evasion if the passenger offers cash immediately. The depot has agreed to that for the trial and will print it on the ticket board.
If the readers stay up for three weeks, the midday services on the same two routes join the trial. A citywide switch is not on the table until the paper ticket’s daily count and the tap count can be reconciled without a manual spreadsheet.
Taj Today will update this report if the official numbers or the timetable change. Related coverage stays on the Technology page.
