PATNA: In an innovative move aimed at helping passengers travel safely during the Covid-19 pandemic, the first automated Mask and Sanitizer Dispenser (MSD) machine was commissioned on Monday by a Delhi based vendor in the East Central Railways.
This is the first in the ECR zone at Patna junction and the second in Indian Railways after the first such machine was installed recently at Nagpur railway station on May 18.
Confirming this, senior divisional commercial manager (DCM) of Danapur division, Aadhaar Raj said that the MSD machine has been commissioned first at Patna junction's platform number one, near the main entrance.
He said that the machine will help the passengers, who either come to board or pass through the Patna junction by trains, to get the masks or hand sanitizers at affordable prices through the machine.
"This would be of great help to especially all those passengers, who come to the station or those on board in the trains and have forgotten to bring the mask and sanitizer during the prevailing outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic", he said.
This machine has an in-built touchscreen display facility to display the price of the products.
Raj said that the Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) has provided space and power connection at a nominal rent of Rs 1000 in addition to the billed amount to run this machine.
Chief spokesperson of ECR, Rajesh Kumar further said that the vending machine has an automated system to accept both coins and the paper currency of different denominations and returning the balance amount after deducting the fixed prices of items ordered by the passengers for purchasing.
"It has capacity of vending 48 different items. As of now, the masks of various safety qualities and the bottle of hand sanitizers of travel-size have been put for automated vending", Kumar said.
He added that the price list of every item has been displayed on the body of machine for the knowledge of passengers.