Nagpur: A technical glitch in the WhatsApp-based ticketing system disrupted services of Nagpur Metro for over two hours during peak morning rush on Tuesday, affecting hundreds of commuters who rely on digital modes for quick access to metro services. The disruption, reported between 9 am and 11 am, rendered the WhatsApp ticketing platform temporarily inaccessible, forcing passengers to shift to alternative modes such as physical ticket counters and smart cards. The disruption occurred when the city’s metro network sees peak footfall from office-goers, college students and other daily commuters. Data from MahaMetro shows that over 10,000 passengers in Nagpur use the WhatsApp ticketing service on a daily basis, underlining its growing role in routine travel. The sudden outage led to a brief rush at several stations, as commuters attempted to secure entry. A senior MahaMetro official attributed the issue solely to a technical glitch, stating that the backend system supporting the WhatsApp ticketing service encountered an unexpected error. The system was restored within a couple of hours, following which normal services resumed across stations. A similar disruption was reported in Pune on Tuesday, where the WhatsApp ticketing service of the metro network remained unavailable for a few hours during the morning rush. Both Nagpur and Pune metro services are majorly operated by MahaMetro.In recent months, WhatsApp-based ticketing has gained popularity among daily passengers for its convenience and time efficiency, reducing the need to stand in queues. However, the outage during peak hours exposed the limitations of a system heavily reliant on a single digital interface.
