Grameenphone users to book rail tickets via mobile (Bangladesh)

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The world is going mobile and with so many developments happening in the telecom world, the most benefited are the mobile users. Mobile operator Grameenphone has taken a step ahead to make the life of its users a bit easier. Commuters in Bangladesh can now reserve train tickets 10 days in advance over their mobile phone through Grameenphone’s Mobitaka service.

The payment for the tickets can be done by using the balance in the user’s Mobitaka account. The operator has collaborated with Computer Network Systems (CNS) Limited which is the Bangladeshi equivalent of IRCTC. CNS took over the computerized reservation and ticketing system of Bangladesh Railway in 2007.

All Inter-city trains starting from Dhaka Kamlapur, Dhaka Airport and Chittagong stations would be offered the mobile ticketing service initially. The service will be expended to all other intercity trains gradually. A menu from the mobile phone will be entered by the users and travelling information would have to be fed to book the tickets.

After the above steps, the user will get an option to either book the tickets for a stipulated time period or purchase immediately if the seats are available. Through an SMS, a digital train ticket number will be sent from which paper-based ticket from the train station at the time of travel could be obtained. A service fee of BDT 20 per seat will be charged along with the ticket cost.