Commuters urge CMRL to resolve ticketing issues

CHENNAI: Passengers of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) have been troubled by the ticketing system and scanning of tickets at several Metro stations. Regular passengers of the Metro allege that tickets bought at the counter do not work at the entry point of the station.

K Rajesh, an IT professional, said, “The ticket bought at the counter fails to get properly scanned. So, I’m unable to get through the station. I’m forced to wait and ask for assistance from the staff there, which leads to delays.”

When he faced such an issue at Saidapet Metro station, a staff there disclosed that this was a common problem. “If I’m not a frequent Metro commuter, other facilities like travel cards and QR code facilities are not useful for me,” he pointed out. “CMRL should rectify this issue so that we’re not delayed or miss the train.”

Meanwhile, Sreemathi, another working professional, explained the ordeal she faced by the staff who forced her to buy a travel card. “Around 2 weeks back, my friend and I were travelling from Tondiarpet Metro station. When we reached the counter to purchase tickets, the staff there told us to get a travel card. They also mandated that CMRL has made it compulsory for passengers to travel only through this card,” recalled Sreemathi.

It wasn’t over yet. The staff argued with her for 10 minutes to purchase the card. But she refused to buy one. “I do not take the Metro train often. So, I do not need a card,” she stated. “Why and how can they force passengers?”

In another incident, a Metro passenger stated that the CMRL app was not functioning properly. “I scanned at the station to make payments. Though the amount got deducted, the app did not generate a ticket. Thankfully, I had a travel card handy with me and used it instead. But such issues must be rectified,” the passenger insisted.

CMRL officials did not respond despite repeated calls from DT Next.