BENGALURU: With long queues at Baiyappanahalli Metro station counters due to the Ugadi rush, the launch of the first PayTM outlet there couldn’t have been timed better. The crowd, heading to Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna and Yesvantpur railway stations from this terminus, will be benefited by the move.
A poster near booking counter 1 announces the option, the first such venture by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in the city. If successful, it would be replicated across Bengaluru. Commuters, frustrated with the tedious process involved in topping up their Metro cards online via the BMRCL website or those struggling to get change at counters, are delighted. A majority of the commuters prefer smart cards or the Varshik card, as it offers a 15% discount on the regular fare.
A senior BMRCL official told TNIE, “This is a pilot project we launched on March 29. Not many passengers know about it yet. A maximum top-up of Rs 3,000 can be made using this option. We have started getting business of nearly Rs 10,000 per day via PayTM.” Currently, one needs to go to the counter and scan the QR code pasted outside the counter to top up, but this process will be much easier in the future, another official said, adding that the PayTM feature is being set up at all other stations too.
Rashmi K, an IT professional, who was headed from Baiyappanahalli station to KSR, said, “This has been long due. The point of using the Metro is defeated if one has to stand in long queues for a token.
Rahavendra J, an artiste, feels the move is much-needed, but said, “They need to give an opportunity to Indian online wallets like Bhim instead.”