Since Friday morning, September 26, 2025, Bengaluru Metro users have been grappling with significant inconvenience as their go-to WhatsApp ticketing system unexpectedly crashed. A pop-up message informing users of ‘maintenance’ has left countless commuters, who depend on the app for its speed and simplicity, with no choice but to join lengthy queues at ticket counters.
The WhatsApp chatbot has long been the favored method for many passengers, offering a quick alternative to physical queues and eliminating the need for a traditional metro card for daily travel. However, the sudden malfunction has unexpectedly pushed these digital-first commuters back to traditional, manual ticket buying.
Jayadeva Bolar, a commuter who has relied on the service for over a year, expressed his frustration: “I typically travel from Peenya to Infantry Road three times a week. Because I don’t use the Metro daily, WhatsApp ticketing is incredibly convenient. But as of Friday morning, it completely stopped working, forcing me to stand in a long queue just to buy a ticket.”
The ‘Under Maintenance’ Message
Attempts to use the WhatsApp chatbot are met with an automated message stating: “This service is currently under maintenance. We’ll be back soon. Thank you for your patience.”
A high-ranking official from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) clarified to the media that the fault lies not with the Metro system, but with WhatsApp itself. “The issue is not with BMRCL but with WhatsApp. We have been informed it is related to maintenance, and we are hopeful it will be resolved at the earliest,” the official stated.
Launched in November 2022, WhatsApp ticketing has been a cornerstone of BMRCL’s efforts to enhance commuter convenience. The corporation proudly announced Namma Metro as the first transit system globally to offer a chatbot-driven QR ticketing service. This innovative chatbot allows passengers to interact in both English and Kannada, purchase QR tickets, top up metro cards, check fare information, plan routes, and view departure schedules.
In a continuous effort to boost digital accessibility, BMRCL has also integrated ticketing options through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This means tickets are accessible via the official Namma Metro app, Paytm, the WhatsApp chatbot (reachable at 8105556677), and nine other consumer applications.