Metro riders using smartcards outnumber token buyers

A month after Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) launched a promotional drive for smartcards among commuters, the number of token users slid by 2.46 lakh in July.

The BMRCL sold 94,000 smartcards in July, with the total users touching 6.88 lakh. High smartcard sales result in frequent, if not regular, users of the metro train, which is evident as the monthly ridership went up by 5 lakh in July.

A S Shankar, executive director, BMRCL Operations and Maintenance, said the metro's monthly ridership touched an all-time high of 1.15 crore in July, up from 1.10 crore in June.

Besides offering a 10% discount, smartcards also help in cashless transactions, easing the metro operations and helping passengers to avoid standing in queue to buy tokens. Officials said the cards contributed to 60% of the total fare revenue (Rs 31.40 crore). They accounted for 62.36 lakh rides.

"We can't attribute the growth in ridership to the introduction of six-car trains alone. We will introduce more six-car trains in the coming days anyway. The growth is organic," Shankar said.

Seating facilities

Noting that there is need for seating facilities at several stations, he said the corporation has been aware of the issue. "We will add facilities required to fulfill commuters' demands. As of now, our priority is to reduce the congestion in the trains for the convenience of passengers," he said.