From faulty electronic ticketing devices to paucity of conductors who know how to use them, the Delhi government’s common mobility initiative is still marred by what the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) officials insist are “teething problems”.
The Aam Aadmi Party government had launched the initiative 30 days ago.
The Hindu travelled aboard several vehicles being operated by the public transporter to assess how the initiative, which promised more ease to commuters in purchase of tickets for their bus journeys using their Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) smart cards, was materialising.
Incomplete transactions
Issues with the functionality of Electronic Ticketing Machine (ETM) were common. A few of these recorded battery issues while others hung midway during transactions.
A bus conductor, Sanjay Kumar ( name changed ), said: “After 3-4 transactions via metro card, the machine hangs and has to be restarted. This causes delay and becomes difficult for passengers, especially the ones who ask for a single-stop ticket.”
Another conductor, Pravesh Kumar ( name changed ), also had similar complaints of delay caused by metro cards.
“Sometimes the ticket does not come out and the passenger refuses to pay. Due to this, many times I have to pay from my pocket to clear the bills at the office,” Mr. Kumar said.
Functionality issues
More bus rides between both longer and shorter routes revealed issues with functionality as a common complaint.
DTC Managing Director Manoj Kumar, said: “The trend of the usage of the common mobility card is definitely on a rise. There are no major structural complaints on an organisational level. However, a few minor ones are being solved locally on a daily basis.”
While some passengers were happy with the integration between public buses and the Delhi Metro, others were still unaware of the initiative. “It does not matter as I use cash. I stopped using metro post the price-hike,” said Rahul Sharma, a student.
“Such integration is useless if ridership [on of the integrated modes of transport] is decreasing due to its cost,” he added.
Jaishree Akka, employed as a domestic help in Chand Nagar, was shocked to find out about the initiative. “Do you mean to say the card I use to travel on the metro can be used in this bus as well?,” she said. Asif Mohamad, while paying for his ticket, quipped that the government always tried to save money in “areas it should not”.
He said, “The machines look old. Why can’t the government invest in new machines?”
However, there were still some passengers who said they were content with the new option as it saves them from the hassle of tendering change.
Jagdish Singh, a resident of Tilak Nagar, said: “It is definitely convenient. I have in many instances overpaid as there was no change. This removes the hassle of tendering exact money in cash or coins.”
Another passenger Mandeep Kaur, said, that she often keeps cash as a backup even though she uses her metro card for payment. “The machine freezes once in a while. Even though it is convenient, I can’t depend upon them fully,” she said.
