Kolkata Metro has played a crucial role in ensuring a smooth and convenient journey for commuters during the Durga Puja this year. The people have chosen the Metro system as their preferred mode of transportation over alternatives like buses and taxis to reach their destinations.
The metro authorities have taken various initiatives for the smooth operations of the Metros. Apart from operating additional trains, the Metro Railway has also launched Smart Cards for the convenience of the passengers.
Kolkata Metro Smart Card
The country’s first network has introduced Smart Cards for the passengers to avoid the inconvenience of standing in long queues to purchase tokens. This has gained immense popularity among the Metro commuters. The use of Smart Cards by the Metro commuters in Blue Line has surpassed the expectations of the Metro Authorities during the Puja days.
A total of 20501 Smart Cards have been purchased from Chaturthi to Dashami this year. This is 9 per cent more than the previous year’s Durga Puja. Of these, 3555 smart cards were issued on Chaturthi, 4307 on Panchami, 4243 on Sasthi, 4183 on Saptami, 2379 on Ashtami, 1448 on Nabami and 386 on Dashami.
Metro Ride Kolkata App
The ‘Metro Ride Kolkata’ mobile application has also contributed to the popularity of Smart Cards among Metro commuters. It allows the passengers to conveniently recharge their Smart Cards from the comfort of their homes.
Sale of Kolkata Metro Smart Tokens during Durga Puja 2023
The city’s rapid transit system has arranged ticket counters to sell Smart Tokens during the Puja days. The Smart Tokens are a green, eco-friendly ticketing system compared to the old one-time usable paper-based tickets. During the period from Chaturthi to Dashami, the metro commuters purchased a total of 2,855,325 Smart Tokens, which is an increase of 247,536 (or 9.49%) compared to the sales during the previous year’s Durga Puja days.