The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has plans to use Google’s facial recognition technology to replace smart cards/tokens at the automatic fare collection (AFC) gates. Namma Metro commuters use the smart card to open the gates.

BMRCL has decided to use the facial recognition technology on the back of strong demand for monthly passes and also to prevent multiple riders from using the same card simultaneously.

Earlier this week, BMRCL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google to provide commuters in Bangalore with real-time updates on train movements on Google Maps.

BMRCL is also collaborating with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to help telcos set up small cells for 5G technology in Metro piers. The project will initially be tried in a two kilometre stretch between MG Road and Ulsoor Metro stations.

Facial recognition has been a controversial topic around the world, with growing concerns around the potentially unethical use of the technology.

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