UPI Glitch Disrupts Namma Metro Ticketing During Peak Hours
Passengers using Namma Metro in Bengaluru encountered significant difficulties on Tuesday evening when attempting to purchase tickets or recharge travel cards through UPI payments. During the busy peak hours, numerous commuters reported that their money was deducted from their bank accounts, but the essential QR code required for travel was not generated, leaving them stranded at ticket counters.
BMRCL Attributes Issue to Nationwide Technical Outage
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) issued a statement on Wednesday clarifying that the disruption was not due to any fault in their systems. According to BMRCL, the problem stemmed from a nationwide outage affecting UPI services that occurred between 6:40 PM and 9:00 PM. The corporation facilitates UPI payments through multiple bank handles, all of which were impacted during this period.
"BMRCL's systems were functioning normally and had no role in the outage," the statement emphasized. The technical issue was traced back to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the organization responsible for managing UPI transactions across the country. Normal services were fully restored after 9:00 PM, and BMRCL expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
Passenger Frustration and Operational Challenges
A BMRCL official described the scene at metro stations, noting that it took some time to identify the root cause of the problem. "It took some time to find out that there was a technical glitch, but by then there were a lot of customers waiting near the ticket counters," the official said. This led to congestion and delays during the evening rush, exacerbating the travel woes of daily commuters.
This incident is not an isolated one for Namma Metro passengers relying on digital payments. In October of the previous year, a similar technical glitch left several passengers stranded at various Bengaluru Metro stations, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in the digital ticketing infrastructure.
Broader Implications and Media Coverage
The disruption garnered attention from multiple media outlets, which reported on the nationwide nature of the UPI service outage. Such incidents raise concerns about the reliability of digital payment systems during critical peak travel times and the need for robust backup mechanisms.
BMRCL's swift communication and attribution of the issue to NPCI aim to maintain transparency and reassure passengers about the metro's operational integrity. However, recurring problems with UPI-based transactions underscore the importance of continuous system improvements and contingency planning to prevent future disruptions.
