With refilling of smart cards not yet made available on all ticket counters, the queues are set to become much longer
The Western Railway’s ambitious plan to introduce 490 more Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) for its suburban stations will not help reduce the queues outside ticket booking windows. Reason: There are not enough ATVMs to refill or issue smart cards.
Also, with refilling of smart cards not yet made available on all ticket counters, the queues are set to become much longer.
In an official statement issued on Tuesday, the WR said it plans to procure 490 more ATVMs. The WR has already increased the number of ATVMs from 115 to 171 in the last two months. With 24 more ATVMs to be installed shortly, the total number will go up to 195. A proposal for 75 new machines has been sent to the Centre for Railway Information System, while another proposal for 415 new ATVMs has been sent to the Railway Board.
But there was no word on increasing the supporting infrastructure such as card readers, dedicated windows or allowing card refills at the ticket booking offices. Only a few stations have one window reserved for transactions pertaining to the ATVMs.
At present, there are only 38 smart card readers as against the 171 ATVMs on the entire WR suburban network.
More than 5 lakh railway commuters have purchased smart cards since its launch in 2007, and around 450 new users are added every day. Around 3,000 users refill their smart cards every day, while 32,000 tickets are issued by the ATVMs. Such heavy utilisation of this system points to the need to make better arrangements for commuters.
A WR official said on condition of anonymity: “The Railway Board has approved 100 new card readers.” But when they will be delivered remains a question.
“The number of card readers will increase proportionately,” said Sharat Chandrayan, chief public relations officer of WR. But he did not reveal the exact number.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}