New Delhi: In a bid to encourage people to use smart cards or ticket vending machines (TVM), Delhi Metro is planning to close down ticket counters. The counters will be closed at stations where the footfall is less. To promote use of smart card, during Phase III all the upcoming Delhi metro stations will only have TVMs. Â Ticket counters and TVMs will be made available on at interchange Delhi Metro stations.
Currently the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has closed counters at 118 stations out of 180 stations located in National Capital Region (NCR) and Delhi. In order to make usage of smart card easier, they have installed 520 machines at various stations. Those stations which have over 5,000 commuters on daily basis will have both the facilities – ticket counters as well as TVMs to make travel easier.
Delhi Metro officials shared that in the initial stages commuters might find it tough to operate machines. It is known that TVMs do have calibration issues and these need to be resolved. To make usage of smart card simpler, staff members from Delhi Metro will be deployed to assist commuters in buying tokens.
As per the information ticket counters have been closed at Jor Bagh, Barakhamba Road, Lok Kalyan Marg, Mayur Vihar I, Akshardham, Udyog Bhawan and Mandi House
DMRC is taking this initiative to ensure people use smart cards, this why tickets counters are being closed. This move has also been taken with DMRC getting reports of ticket counter staff not returning the change to commuters and causing unnecessary problem at various Delhi Metro stations. As per reports over 80 % commuters are using smart cards when they travel in metro.
In a recent move DMRC has also started Common Mobility Card facility for the feeder buses as well as parking lots at various Delhi Metro stations. This smart card can be used to pay for travel in the feeder buses as well. There total of 200 buses that metro runs at 40 routes running parallel to metro station network.
