When 62-year-old Viswanathan got down at the Airport station of Chennai Metro, all he wanted was to get back home without getting drenched in the pouring rain. A resident of Chitlapakkam, Viswanathan chose to opt for the feeder taxi services provided by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited in its stations. However, what he did not anticipate was that the feeder services have to be paid for only using the Metro card and no other payment modes were accepted.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited’s decision to insist on a single unified payment mode – Metro card or Store Value card to avail a variety of its services has come under criticism from some users. While regular users might find this hassle-free, occasional and one-time users find it unnecessarily restrictive as trains, parking, feeder taxis etc will all need payments using the card
“I boarded the feeder service that day expecting to reach Chrompet. However, the driver asked me how I was paying for it. I replied that I have cash. But he told me to get down since they have been told to accept payments only by a direct debit from Metro cards,” Vishwanathan tells TNM.
Feeder taxi services were introduced in August 2018 on a trial basis aiming to boost patronage to the Chennai Metro by providing last mile connectivity to the users. Priced at Rs 10, the seats on these services can be pre-booked using a special mobile application. However, payment for using the service can be made only through the Metro card.
Though aimed at promoting a unified payment system for public transport in Chennai, the decision to accept payment only through pre-loaded Commuter cards have put many one-time users of Chennai Metro at a severe disadvantage. While a Metro card can be purchased from any of the ticket counters across the CMRL network on payment of Rs 50 which is refundable, some commuters say it is an unnecessary hassle for someone who uses the Metro rail rarely.
“What is wrong in accepting the legal tender of the country in these cabs? Many senior citizens might not want to be a part of a cumbersome process of getting and maintaining a card,” Vishwanathan asks.
It is not just feeder services but if one has to avail the parking services in the CMRL station premises, one has to possess a metrocard to pay for it. While this discourages commuters from using their own vehicles to reach the station, it also makes them dependent on feeder services, which again need metro cards.
Vijay Bhaskaran, 29, endorses the efficiency of CMRL Feeder services, but adds, “Definitely they (CMRL) must start accepting cash and not stick with just one payment method. Even in parking lots, CMRL accepts only payments in metro cards,” he says.
Feeder services info missing
Payments are just one of the many issues commuters are facing around the Feeder services run by CMRL. CMRL runs taxis and autos as a part of its feeder service at fixed timings from each station. These services ply a radius of 5-6 km from the station providing pick-up and drop facilities for the commuters.
Speaking to TNM, Ramji Yahoo Mahadevan, a regular user of Chennai Metro, says that it would be better for CMRL to make a facility to track the feeder service vehicle. “If a passenger wants to reach a nearby railway station from home, she/he is unable to find where the feeder van is currently running, so like Ola, Uber, we should be able to find the feeder van’s current location,” he says. Adding that many stations lack clear information on the timings of feeder services from the station, Ramji also says that it would be better to display such important information at the exit points of the stations.
“CMRL can also consider putting the contact numbers of the drivers on duty so that passengers can check with them about the running status of feeder services,” he adds.
Can integrate with ticket fare
Offering another suggestion to tackle issues of not having a metro card, Viswanathan says that CMRL can issue ticket coins based on whether the commuter is going to take feeder service or not, thus eliminating the need for cash.
When TNM contacted Pankaj Bansal, the Managing Director of CMRL on the proposal to include more payment options for users, he said that the appropriate department would take a call on the matter. However, the concerned department of the CMRL responded that there were no plans at present to include other payment modes for parking and feeder services run by the company. “As of now the fares for Parking and Feeder services are to be collected by CMRL Travel Card,” a spokesperson for CMRL told TNM. Responding to complaints of lack of information about the running status of Feeder services, CMRL stated that the Feeder Services App contains route map, Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), pickup/ drop points, reservation of seats, cab live tracking, etc.
Source: The News Minute