CMRL has stopped issuing smart cards to the commuters in Chennai - Various things to know!!
Gone are the days when the commuters used their smart cards to travel in the metro trains in Chennai. Now, to encourage the passengers to use NCMC or National Common Mobility Card, CMRL or Chennai Metropolitan Rail Limited has stopped issuing smart cards. It is now revealed that passengers who already have smart cards could recharge and continue to use them. This was brought out by some officials belonging to CMRL.
It must be recalled that when Chennai Metro Rail services were introduced about 9 years back smart cards and tones were the only options for the commuters.
According to the CMRL data it was confirmed that in March the smart cards had the highest number of users of about 37.64 lakhs. It was clear from an officer from CML that the purchase of smart cards was stopped in November 2023 itself after the launch of NCMC. He hinted that all the facilities of smart cards were available in NCMC also. He was of the view that NCMC was the way forward because the passengers could use NCMC cards for shopping or to travel in other modes of transport.
Truth is that CMRL not issuing smart cards to the passengers has made many unhappy. As per a regular metro train traveller, CMRL should have continued with the smart cards. She spoke about how purchasing a smart card was easy when compared with NCMC purchase. Point is that for the purchase of NCMC passenger would have to submit ID proofs etc
It was then mentioned by another regular commuter that though he was happy that CMRL has launched so many ticketing options for the commuters, it shouldn`t have stopped issuing smart cards. He concluded that for senior persons like him smart cards were most convenient to buy and recharge etc.
