Kolkata: Metro Railway, under immense pressure from operating multiple corridors, left no stone unturned on Tuesday to ensure seamless operations and find solutions to the teething issues.
On Tuesday, the station crowd was less overwhelming even during peak hours compared to the first full-day run. The repeated announcements urging passengers to use the metro app to procure tickets seemed to be paying off. On Monday, 23,482 passengers booked mobile QR tickets using the app. This was double the number (11,787) of passengers using the app the previous Monday. "Several passengers understood that they save valuable time and money by buying tickets through the app. They would not only avoid the rush but could also avail of a 5% discount in fare," a Metro spokesperson said. | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in KolkataThe carrier has also prepared a long list of purchases like automatic fare collection (AFC) gates, automatic smartcard recharge machines, automatic ticket vending machines, and baggage scanners.
The sea of heads that was seen at Howrah and Sealdah stations between 8:30 am and noon on Monday was missing on Tuesday. The crowds at the stations seemed more controlled. "Many people bought smartcards on Monday and several have learnt to use the app. That is why the station crowds were manageable today," an official said.
The layout at stations like Howrah and Howrah Maidan was changed on Tuesday. The ticket counters and the vending machines were relocated so that the queues didn't overlap or get in the way of passengers exiting the stations. Metro officials said frequencies of the Green Line would be increased gradually to reduce the passenger volumes in trains. The authorities were also considering extending operation hours along the Blue Line gradually.