Are you going for a movie or interview and want to keep your handbag or camera somewhere safe for a few hours? Well, Delhi Metro Passengers can now rent digital lockers at 50 stations through a new mobile app launched on Wednesday.
App – ‘Momentum 2.0’ – allows passengers to shop online from listed e-commerce companies through ‘Virtual Stores’ located at 20 metro stations, send a courier through smart boxes (digi-locker) and purchase QR codes Also gives. -based ticket. Officials said Delhi Metro is the first mass rapid transit system in the country to introduce such facilities for passengers.
The mobile application seeks to improve the experience of Metro riders beyond the journey. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) plans to expand ‘Virtual Stores’ and ‘Digi-Lockers’ facilities to most of its stations by June 2024.
The Delhi Metro network extends over 393 kilometers with 288 stations, including the Noida-Greater Noida corridor and the Rapid Metro in Gurugram.
The app was formally launched by DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar at Shivaji Stadium metro station.
PTI had reported on the project in February 2022 when it was in its initial stages and DMRC had hired a consulting firm to work on the plan.
Using ‘Momentum 2.0’, which can be downloaded on both Android and iOS phones, a passenger can access a ‘Smart Box’ (Digi-Locker) at any of the 50 stations on Lines 1-7 and the Airport Line while on the move. ) can be rented. ,
These stations include Rajiv Chowk, Millennium City Center Gurugram, Dwarka Sector 10, Supreme Court, Pul Bangash, Netaji Subhash Place, Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Stand), Dilshad Garden, Noida City Centre, Anand Vihar, Tughlakabad, Sarita Vihar, Moolchand. Are. and ip extension.
“Using this app, one can rent a locker at any of these stations for as little as one hour to as long as six hours. If the time limit exceeds the period for which the digi-locker is kept If it has been done, the penalty amount will be taken on rent,” Anurag Bajpayee, founder of Autopay Payment Solutions, told PTI.
The new app, a joint initiative of Delhi Metro and Autopay Payment Solutions, seeks to provide seamless access to metro rides while calculating travel time.
“Think of these digi-lockers as similar to the ‘clock room’ facility provided at Indian Railways stations, but the metro facility is powered by a state-of-the-art digital platform with an app that enhances the experience of passengers while allowing them .An option to do more than just travel during the journey,” a senior DMRC official told PTI.
These ‘Smart Boxes’ are installed in a grid format and each station has a set of 83-90 digital lockers with a console in the centre.
“To rent a Digi-Locker, the user needs to go to the interface of the app, which shows the option of ‘Rent-a-Locker’, and once pressed, it asks the user to select a metro station, The rental period in terms of date, time and number of hours, and the size of the locker – small (Rs 20 per hour), medium (Rs 30 per hour) or large (Rs 40 per hour), and the time slots available, Bajpai said.
After payment, a PIN number will be generated which will be displayed on the app interface, and which will be valid for both dropping and picking up the package.
To drop a package, the user has to select the ‘Drop Package’ tab from the home page of the console, and then after entering the authorized PIN, the Digi-Locker will automatically open without any manual intervention, Bajpai said.
There is no physical lock or key in this system, he said, it is completely a digital platform-driven system.
To shop online from the ‘Virtual Store’, the user has to scan a QR code displayed on the wall set up at the metro station, and then it will ask for the station where the delivery is to be made.
“After scanning the code, the item on sale will be displayed, and then payment can be made and the destination station will have to be mentioned where the item will be delivered. It will be kept in a digi-locker from where it can be picked up Later by the buyer,” said another senior official at Autopay Payment Solutions.
To use the courier service, the user can choose the service from the app, and mention the address where the courier has to be sent and then select the station where it is being collected, Bajpai said.
The courier will be chosen by the partner courier agency, so the user will not have to go to the post office or courier agency, and the package will be delivered at its destination, he said, adding, “The future plan is to have a hyperlocal courier delivery,” In which the courier can be picked up by the recipient from the metro station only on the day of its delivery.
DMRC said the app also provides the option to purchase QR code-based tickets for all metro lines, including the Airport Line, eliminating the need for multiple apps to enhance the user experience.
Additionally, recharge as well as transaction details of Delhi Metro Smart Card can also be viewed in the app. There is also an option for passengers to give standing instructions for ‘auto top-up’ in the app if the balance falls below the minimum prescribed value, it said.
DMRC said that users will also be able to easily pay utility bills like electricity bill, gas bill, mobile bill, DTH bill, Fastag payment etc.
At a metro station, the app also provides station-related information along with details of the location of facilities, gates, lifts, escalators, platforms and timings of the first and last train. Officials said that since the arrival time is based on the destination, a bike or cab can be prepared to receive the passenger at the exact time in the specified area.
Food outlets or ATMs can also be located from the app. Besides, it provides information about shops, outlets, kiosks and ATMs available at metro stations, he said.