Now, bus, rail booking by SMS

29th June 2013
Now, bus, rail booking by SMS

New Delhi, June 30 2013: Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a public sector undertaking of the Indian Ministry of Railways, has launched rail ticket booking through non-internet based mobile texting – even as India’s largest online travel company, MakeMyTrip launched bus ticketing by SMS.

PROCEDURE: RAIL TICKETING SMS:
1. SMS based booking through 139*
Registration
• Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with your bank.
• Bank provides MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) & OTP (one time password) for authorization of payment. (More than 25 banks are providing this facility. For details, visit website: http://www.npci.org.in/bankmember.aspx.)
Booking Flow
• Send SMS, in the following syntax, to 139
BOOK <TrainNo><FromStn.Code><ToStn.Code> <TravelDate (DDMM)><Class><Passenger-Name><Age><M/F>
• You will receive Transaction ID alongwith other details.
• Make payment through sending an SMS, in the following syntax, to 139
PAY <Transaction ID as received><IMPS><Your MMID as received from the bank><OTP, your one time password received for this transaction><IRCTCUserID> and your ticket is booked.
• Service is available to all mobile subscribers.
• SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking).
• PG charges Rs 5/- for ticket amount <Rs 5000/ and Rs 10/- for ticket amount > Rs 5000/- (as applicable by bank).
• Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable
Helpline No.: 139
Helpline Email : smsticket139@bharatbpo.in
PROCEDURE bus ticketing by SMS at MakeMyTrip:
1. SMS '@mbus' along with details such as Origin City, Destination City, Date of Travel and Number of Passengers to 9664896648. <E.g. @mbus delhi Jaipur 24/07/2013 1>
2. Once you send the above search details, you would receive an SMS showing top options for Bus Operators on the searched Route along with the fare details. You would need to reply with the selected Bus Operator option. <E.g. H A>
3. Once you send the selected Bus Operator option, you would be asked to confirm the booking and give the passenger name, age and email id. <E.g. J Hemant Kumar, 24, hemant@gmail.com>
4. Once you send the passenger name, you would be asked for the IMPS payment details such as Seven digit MMID number, Six digit OTP generated from Mobile Application and Mobile number registered with the Bank. <E.g. K 9453454 848529 9582495932>. You will receive a booking confirmation on your email id.
How do I make the payment? Payment would be made using Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) powered by National Payment Commission of India (NPCI).
What is IMPS? IMPS or Immediate Payment Service allows mobile banking users to make instant, 24 x 7, inter-bank payments to merchants using a mobile phone. IMPS enables registered users to access their bank accounts, make payments and get confirmation instantly.
The MakeMyTrip website (www.makemytrip.com/bus-tickets/  ) offers Bus tickets for 1300+ operators over 12,000 + routes across India including the inventory for Punbus/Punjab Roadways , GSRTC, Goa and Bihar Road Transport Corporation and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.