Metro commuters will no longer have to stand in queues to recharge
travel smart cards. The Delhi Metro has installed its first automatic
add value machine and more will follow, a Delhi Metro statement said
Friday.
"The first add value machine is installed in Central
Secretariat Metro station. The machine is touch screen-based and the
passenger can recharge the smart cards avoiding long queue," the
statement said.
According to Delhi Metro, the add value machine
has been installed only in Central Secretariat Metro station on a trial
basis. Such machines will later be installed in other Metro stations,
based on passenger response to them.
"It functions just like an
ATM machine. If a commuter wants to top up the smart card, he needs to
swipe the smart card and insert cash immediately; the card gets
recharged. After recharge, the machine will generate receipt showing
total balance in the card and physical ID number of the card. The
receipt will help passengers if they face any dispute during the
recharge process," the statement said.
The statement said that
only Rs.100 notes can be accepted by the machine. However, this can be
changed to other denominations in coming months.
"It will help
passengers to get their smart cards recharged without standing in a
queue at customer care centre. It is connected to the existing fare
collection system and monitored from the station or operation control
centre," the statement added.
As of now, Delhi Metro tokens and
smart cards can be purchased or recharged only by paying cash at the
specified customer care centres at Metro stations.
Nearly 1.5
million smart cards are presently in circulation. About 1.8 million
commuters ride metro trains daily in the city. While 55 percent of
commuters use smart cards, the rest use tokens.