Kolkata, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Travelling by metro in Kolkata got smarter from Wednesday, with officials announcing two new initiatives.
Metro Railway commuters will no longer have to download any app to purchase tickets. This facility has been launched at a select few stations and will be extended to others soon.
"Commuters will be able to purchase tickets smoothly by scanning QR image stickers available at metro stations without downloading any app. This facility has been made available at the Esplanade, Dumdum, Dakshineswar Rabindra Sarobar, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, Kalighat, Howrah, Sealdah, Sovabazar-Sutanuti, Salt Lake Sector V and Dumdum Cantonment stations. This facility will soon be available at other stations of all corridors," a senior Metro Railway official said.
This will come as a big relief for people using the metro during Durga Puja. Many pandal hoppers are not regular metro users and have not downloaded the AAMAR KOLKATA METRO app. Neither do they possess smart cards. Such people will no longer have to queue up at booking counters.
Metro is gearing up for a huge rush during the Pujas and will be running nightlong services on three days along its Blue and Green lines. This facility was introduced by Metro Railway general manager Prem Sagar Gupta at the Park Street station.
Under the second initiative, Metro commuters would be able to purchase tickets from any station to their destination with the help of the Paytm app, apart from the AAMAR KOLKATA METRO app.
The chief operations officer of Paytm was present at the occasion along with his team. These new facilities would help commuters to purchase tickets quickly and conveniently without standing in long queues and save their valuable time, Gupta said during the launch.
Metro has also made elaborate plans to provide security to passengers during the Durga Puja. Special attention will be paid towards the safety and security of women commuters. Co-ordination meetings have been held between the Kolkata Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Metro Railway Police in this regard. Joint inspections have also been carried out.
"There will be special anti-sabotage teams with special equipment and sniffer dogs. Apart from these, there will be constant patrolling by both men and women RPF personnel to prevent any misbehaviour with women commuters. No eve-teasing or molestation attempt will be tolerated. Teams will also be travelling on trains," another official said.
There will also be close monitoring of live CCTV footage at the security control rooms that will be in constant touch with the teams on the ground. Special technical teams will also be located at strategic places to handle any glitches. Any disruption of services can lead to overcrowding at stations, and Metro Railway wants to avoid that.
Source: IANS
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