In city cinemas soon — dynamic ticket pricing

The UT Administration will soon roll out the flexible ticket pricing system for cinema halls, allowing the ticket rates to vary based on the audience demand for a movie. In spite of being implemented in neighbouring cities of Mohali and Panchkula and other Metro cities like Delhi, Chandigarh lagged behind in introducing the dynamic ticket pricing for movies.

A draft policy on the flexible ticket pricing system, similar to that in Haryana and Punjab, was sent to the authorities concerned for approval. However, the authorities sent back the draft with a simple query. A senior official said the query would soon be answered and the draft sent back for final approval. The official said the authorities just wanted to know whether the flexible pricing system would impact the revenue of the Administration.

At present, cinema operators are permitted to change the ticket prices only twice a year. However, with the implementation of this new policy, they will have the authority to increase the ticket prices during high-demand periods and reduce these during lean days or weekdays.

The new system will enable the operators to charge different prices for different movies at the same time. The ticket prices can also fluctuate throughout the day, except on weekends, based on the audience demand.

At present, the ticket rates in Chandigarh vary only on weekends, while flat rates are applicable every day. There is a slight variation between weekdays and weekends, unlike the neighbouring cities of Mohali and Panchkula, where the ticket prices already fluctuate based on the demand for the film. With the proposed policy, the cap on the ticket rate hike will be removed, and the operators will be able to adjust the prices dynamically.

The Administration expects the policy to benefit both the audience and the exchequer.

Chandigarh