While the Centre is advocating the adoption of cashless transactions in the wake of demonetisation, Indian Railway seems to be taking baby steps towards the goal.
Though railways transport crores of passengers everyday, it does not have a facility for suburban commuters to book or renew season tickets using credit or debit cards.
Though it has a facility to accept card payments for reserved tickets on express and mail trains, card machines have not been installed at the booking offices which give out unreserved suburban tickets.
This has emerged irksome for commuters on Chennai's suburban network from November 8, the day demonetisation announced. People have deposited their savings in banks and are not always able to get Rs 100 denomination bank notes from the ATMs.
Because of this, they are unable to shell out hard cash in the range of Rs 300-1800, which is how much a monthly or tri-monthly season ticket costs.
It is pertinent to note that 60% of the 1.1 million daily suburban train commuters in Chennai division have season tickets. Many of them are software professionals and college students carrying debit cards.
For instance, 26-year-old Ruban Naveen, a software professional, travels from Vandalur, a fast-developing suburb 40 km from Chennai, to Guindy on the suburban train everyday.
"I buy a monthly first class season pass for Rs 580. But the booking office did not give me change against a bank note of Rs 2,000. I didn't have Rs 100 notes. It would have been a lot easier if they could provide debit and credit card facility," he said.
A senior official in Chennai division said tech-savvy people can move to mobile ticketing which has the R-wallet facility and can be recharged online. "Another solution is to upgrade the technology of Automated Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) to accept debit cards. Card facility at booking offices is currently unavailable," the official said.
Though railways transport crores of passengers everyday, it does not have a facility for suburban commuters to book or renew season tickets using credit or debit cards.
Though it has a facility to accept card payments for reserved tickets on express and mail trains, card machines have not been installed at the booking offices which give out unreserved suburban tickets.
This has emerged irksome for commuters on Chennai's suburban network from November 8, the day demonetisation announced. People have deposited their savings in banks and are not always able to get Rs 100 denomination bank notes from the ATMs.
Because of this, they are unable to shell out hard cash in the range of Rs 300-1800, which is how much a monthly or tri-monthly season ticket costs.
It is pertinent to note that 60% of the 1.1 million daily suburban train commuters in Chennai division have season tickets. Many of them are software professionals and college students carrying debit cards.
For instance, 26-year-old Ruban Naveen, a software professional, travels from Vandalur, a fast-developing suburb 40 km from Chennai, to Guindy on the suburban train everyday.
"I buy a monthly first class season pass for Rs 580. But the booking office did not give me change against a bank note of Rs 2,000. I didn't have Rs 100 notes. It would have been a lot easier if they could provide debit and credit card facility," he said.
A senior official in Chennai division said tech-savvy people can move to mobile ticketing which has the R-wallet facility and can be recharged online. "Another solution is to upgrade the technology of Automated Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) to accept debit cards. Card facility at booking offices is currently unavailable," the official said.