Delhi Metro commuters can now recharge their smart cards using the old Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 currency notes till the midnight of November 14.
Guidelines
“Following government guidelines, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has extended the deadline till the midnight of November 14 for acceptance of old high denomination currency notes,” a DMRC spokesperson said.
Huge crowds
Friday saw huge crowds of commuters trying to recharge their smart cards using old currency notes at customer care centres across Delhi Metro stations.
“I had enough balance on my smart card for the next few days. However, I’m not sure when I will be able to withdraw money from the bank due to massive crowds. I recharged my smart card using my old Rs.1,000 note so that I have no problem commuting for at least the next 15 days,” said Ghaziabad resident Surajit Shome.
Cash shortage
While the minimum recharge value for smart cards is Rs.200, commuters who tried to use Rs.500 notes to get the minimum recharge amount were left disappointed as customer care executives refused to recharge below Rs.500 citing cash shortage.
“No change”
“I don’t take the metro very often, but keep a smart card anyway to avoid the hassle of queuing up at token counters when I do. I didn’t need a recharge of Rs.500, but the executive at the counter said he did not have Rs.300 in change. I had no option but to get the smart card recharged for Rs.500,” said Vimla Sharma, a resident of Shahdara.
Record-breaking spike
In the last two days, the DMRC has seen a record-breaking spike in recharge of smart cards for Rs.500 and Rs.1,000, while recharge of Rs. 200 has seen a decline.
Commuters who tried to use Rs.500 notes to get minimum recharge amount of Rs.200 disappointed
