BENGALURU : Mandatory Rs 50 minimum balance on Metro Smart cards has not gone down well with commuters. While regular office commuters who top up cards once a month are unaffected, those who are not daily commuters have overwhelmingly opposed this move. Announcements were being made at all 40 Metro stations on Thursday about the new rule and printouts pasted announcing it. With the Smart cards (known as Varshik cards) offering a 15 per cent discount on each ride, a majority of Metro commuters prefer it over buying a travel token.
M Kavya, Project Engineer at Ozone, rushed to board her usual Metro train as the announcement was being made about its arrival. The AFC gate would not open when she placed her card. Reason: The mandatory Rs 50 balance was not there. She rushed to stand in the queue and top up her card to up the stored value. “I really do not understand why this sudden rule has been announced. My one way trip from J P Nagar to Cubbon Park costs me just Rs 29. I have Rs 40 on my card right now but cannot travel. It feels unfair. I am waiting for the next train now,” she told The New Indian Express.
Bank Manager S Rajendar, who commutes for work between Kevempu Road and MG Road Metro stations, was also displeased. “This is not good. Many a time, I have heard counter staff at Metro stations asking for cash instead of cards saying card machines were not working. Unless you top up online in advance, one needs to stand in a queue and take out cash to top up the card in case the balance is not there. The reverse of a digital India is taking place here,” he pointed out.
Saranya P, an employee at Vidhana Soudha, said that though a balance of Rs 50 in the card is not a big deal, it makes the big difference between going to office on time or reaching late if one train is missed.
“Missing a train during peak hour due to insufficient balance is really upsetting,” she added.
Anup N, finance executive at DynPro India, said, “There was so much confusion at Vijayanagar Metro station this morning with the lights showing red when many used the card at the gates. They were then told by the staff around about the minimum balance. A bit of time needs to be given. How can Metro announce and implement it within a day?”
We had informed commuters in advance: BMRCL
Asked about the sudden step, Executive Director, Operations and Maintenance, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, AS Shankar told TNIE, “We had been telling commuters on and off over the last two months that maintaining a minimum balance of Rs 50 on smart cards was necessary. It is only that we chose to implement it from Wednesday.”
Insisting that it was done only to avoid inconvenience to the majority of commuters, Shankar explained, “When a train reaches the destination station, a good number who alight do not have enough money on the card. Only when the balance is paid at the customer care centre, do the gates open up and the passenger can exit. The queue created at such stations near the AFC gates causes much inconvenience to other commuters.” BMRCL was also forced to pay up in some cases, he added. Meanwhile, BMRCL had begun putting up circulars at Metro stations regarding the new rule.