Kolkata: The metro foot graph may rise, but around 4,000 commuters return their smart card every day, force the operator to pay back around Rs 1.7 lakh from the cash counter every day.
These commuters buy smart cards to travel with Metro in the morning but return it at the end of the day to take back balance.
Most of these commuters are used to buy a single travel token before the pandemic.
With Metro not publishing tokens now, this commuter is forced to adopt smart cards as a means of traveling with the metro.
However, many of them did not want to leave cash on the card at the end of the day and instead returned the card to take back the balance, just to buy a fresh card the next morning.
The smart card is valuable Rs 120, which RS 80 is still stored with the Metro.
From RS 40 remaining, Metro offers an incentive or 10% vehicle worth Rs 44.
When this balance runs out, the card needs to be recharged.
But when the card is returned, the balance is not used and the deposit amount is returned to the commuter.
Metro campaigned at plus points having a smart card.
This is the most user-friendly ticket system, especially at the time of a pandemic, he said.
But smart cards and tokens cannot be pitted directly with each other, claiming to be officials.
“Officially, we cannot prevent passengers from sending the card, even if it means debiting a large amount of money every day.
The trend is worrying,” Rupi is a station manager.
Deputy Metro General Manager Protyush Ghosh said while smart cards were safe during a pandemic, even comfortable if not as a commuter avoided a long queue.
This card can also be recharged online.
He, however, added, “In the absence of tokens, it is true that some passengers may feel comfortable to restore smart cards.
Even though they are valid for a year, some may be reluctant to spend RS 120 when starting a one-day trip.” At a train user consulting committee meeting.
Metro API on November 9, Manoj Joshi Metro Metro said that Tokens will return once the Covid case reduced significantly, responding to questions by Shankar Das, which is a dyomorial why only smart cards are allowed to take the Metro train.
GM explained that Tokens will increase the risk of transmission.
Metro previously announced the re-issuance of Tokens from March 15, but delayed his decision on March 13 because the number of Bengal Daily Covid rose to 700-plus.