Daily commute in Greater Chennai is set to get easier with the launch of a contactless, chip-based prepaid card by the Tamil Nadu government that facilitates seamless travel across metros and buses.

The Singara Chennai Card, akin to the London transport’s Oyster card, gives commuters access to Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (MTC) buses and Chennai Metro Rail trains that accept the RuPay platform’s National Common Mobility Card for hassle-free digital transactions.

“This is a serious endeavour to modernise and digitalise the public transit system in Tamil Nadu in phases,” state transport minister S.S. Sivasankar said while launching the card here under a collaboration between the MTC and the State Bank of India.

The SBI will issue 50,000 free cards to commuters in the first phase, Sivasankar said. The SBI also has a tie-up with the Chennai Metro Rail.

Commuters can purchase these cards at 20 designated bus terminals across Greater Chennai, including Koyembedu, Broadway, Tambaram and Ambattur, besides Chennai Metro Rail stations.

During travel, the cards can be swiped on the electronic ticketing machines that the MTC has already distributed among bus conductors, said Sivasankar.

Commuters can periodically recharge the cards at the recognised MTC bus depots and through online portals and apps, the minister said. Soon, the government will introduce a facility where the bus conductors can recharge the cards, he added.

According to the SBI, the Singara Chennai Card is a “contactless, dual interface (EMV chip-based) prepaid card with stored valued functionality for providing a safe, secure, and seamless way of payment”. The 16-digit card can be used just by tapping on PoS machines or ticket-vending machines.

“The unique feature of this card is it has different compartments for storing amounts for different utilities,” the SBI said. It has the potential to evolve into a multi-purpose digital card, including for retail transactions and drawing cash from ATMs.

Public transport experts point out that there are challenges to the system as ticket payments through such a card get difficult in areas with weak Internet signals and in overcrowded buses. The MTC operates its services across 3,929sqkm, covering the entire Chennai Metropolitan Area.