28 August,2015 07:21 AM IST | | Tanvi Deshpande
However the bookings come with a rider, as tickets will have to be reserved 15 days in advance
If all goes well as per the plan chalked out by the Taraporevala Aquarium officials, visitors will soon be able to book tickets via web and mobile phone applications. However, these bookings come with a rider.
Visitors queue outside the aquarium, waiting for their turn to buy tickets. File pic
Tickets need to be booked 15 days in advance, thus defeating the whole purpose of reducing queues outside ticket windows at the aquarium. "We invited bids on August 24 from software consultants via e-tendering.
Once the contractor is finalised, work order will be issued and the application would be functional in the next six weeks or so," said an aquarium official. Currently, the aquarium charges R60 for adults and R30 for children as entry fee.
When asked whether the ticket rates would rise once the bookings are shifted online, the official said, "It all depends on the contractor and the final work order. If the bid involves a separate surcharge for online booking, then ticket rates might increase.
At present, interested parties can submit bids that will later be reviewed and forwarded to the state government for final approval." He added that nearly 70 per cent of the tickets would be available online.
Moreover, a link will be made available on the aquarium's existing website to download the mobile app for handsets running on Windows, Android and iOS operating system.
