Kolkata Metro goes digital! Avoid long queues and download the app now

Kolkata, March 17: Metro has become a lifeline for most of the cities. Becoming metropolitan city Kolkata Metro Railway specially has been the lifeline of the city. Thousands of commuters travel to work, schools every day. In this scenario waiting in long queues to buy tickets become difficult. To reduce the stress and tiredness Kolkata metro has decided to go digital. Though the concept is not new, now you can jump the queue at crowded ticket counters!

 

The lines at the ticket counters are the stuff of legends. During peak hours, it isn’t uncommon to see the line stretch all the way to the station entrance itself. During the Durga Puja season, the Kolkata Metro remains open almost 24 hours a day.

The Kolkata Metro has decided to go digital, and is talking to banks and wishes to create an e-wallet that will allow daily passengers to recharge smart cards online. This new initiative will put those with smartphones, at an advantage. They will no longer need to stand in queue for tokens.

In order to create the software to run the e-system, the project approximately costs at Rs 2 crore. The Kolkata Metro and the CRIS will soon sign the Memorandum of Understanding. For a while, the Kolkata Metro authorities have been thinking of implementing smarter ticketing systems.

Here’s how it will work:

People will have to download an app on their smartphones and select the origin and destination stations. Payment will be done using an e-wallet. Once the ticket is purchased, a QR code will be generated. Passengers will need to scan the sensor on the smart gates, using the QR Code.

Aiming to reduce the long queue lengths at booking counters, the Kolkata Metro has maintained the e-ticketing system in the pipeline for a while. Many railway ministers aim at reducing queues at counters, and the Indian Railways also has an umbrella goal no passenger should spend more than 5 minutes at a booking counter.

The digitalisation of the Metro ticketing services might help bring down the waiting time at queues. It puts smartphone users at a distinct advantage, saving them valuable time, and it will help the Metro save money that they would normally spend on tokens.