Metro smart card sales up after demonetization

The demonetization of old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 has led to a boom in the sales of smart cards of the Delhi Metro.

Sources in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that since the announcement of demonetization, the sale of smart cards has grown over 75 per cent in the national Capital.

As per the data, while the DMRC sold close to 15,000 smart cards every day, the number has jumped to 26,000 per day since the demonetization announcement.

Metro also offers a 10 per cent discount to commuters on payment made through smart cards.

On an average, around 30 lakh people travel by metro on a daily basis, of these an approximate of 70 per cent travel through smart cards. "The rise in the sale and purchase of smart cards has been exponential, largely due to demonetization.

Commuters prefer the smart cards as they can avoid the long queues for tokens and easy transition," said a DMRC official.

The Delhi metro had recently also decided to increase the maximum limit of smart card recharge from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, temporarily. Commuters of the Metro can avail this increased top up service from December 12 and it will remain effective at least till December 31, 2016.