With no immediate solution in sight for the teething technical and procedural issues associated with the Kochi-1 pre-paid card and app for travelling in the Kochi metro, commuters and Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) are in a catch-22 situation.
The situation has reached a point where commuters are taking to social media highlighting the innumerable hassles faced by card users.
M. Abhijit, a research scholar at Cusat, said he had to change four cards — twice for faulty chip — in the past four years. “It caused much inconvenience, since the reader device card would not read the card at the ticket gate. In addition, I had to shell out ₹225 each time I changed the card. Axis Bank would not waive off the charge, despite it being a problem with the chip. The open-loop system in the card (whereby one could get discounts after shopping in select shops) too is not of much use,” he added.
“The Kochi-1 app too is of little use, since it has very few utilities other than what the card can be used for. There is no need to generate a QR code if one has the card. The ‘travel planner’ in the app is also not as reliable. Briefly put, the card and the app are very cumbersome and confusing, especially since there are hassles while opting for automatic recharge. KMRL must learn from other metros where they do not insist on such procedures and pre-conditions,” he said.
Binu Karunakaran, another commuter, spoke of how he was unable to recharge the card through the app, although an amount was debited. “A similar problem persisted, as an attempt was made through the UPI mode. It must be said that the app has a very low user rating in Playstore. The app also needs to be updated, while the insistence on KYC documents must be done away with, as in other metros,” he said.
The bank is insisting on KYC documents, since it is an open-loop card and not a travel card that most other metros have. The RBI insists on it, it is learnt.
Incidentally, KMRL, which has targeted a daily footfall of one lakh by the month-end, had directed Axis Bank to rectify all issues that had been plaguing the Kochi-1 card and app, so that the primary purpose of providing commuters a seamless ride in the metro is fulfilled. That most card users are regular commuters has prompted the metro agency to give additional emphasis on it, sources said.
