Reintroduction of token facility pushes up Metro passenger count

Kolkata: Kolkata Metro Railway witnessed significant sale of token after it was reintroduced for passengers last week.

Tokens were re-introduced to passengers after 20 months on November 25, 2021.

"From November 25, 2021 to December 4, 2021, we issued 5,45,164 tokens. On December 5, 2021, till 3. 30 pm, we issued 10,962 tokens," said an official of Kolkata Metro Railway.

He reiterated that 33,489 tokens were on November 25, 2021.

The next day number shot up to 43,665. On November 27, 2021 Kolkata Metro Railway issued 56,259.

On an average, 54, 516 tokens are being issued on a daily basis.

Kolkata Metro Railway authority had stopped issuing tokens for passengers availing the services since March 2020 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

Kolkata Metro Railway services were thrown open to the public with 50 per cent seating maintaining COVID-19 protocol from July 16 after 61 days of suspension of services. Last year, during the initial days of COVID-19 pandemic, Kolkata Metro Railway services were suspended in the last week of March and resumed on September 14 after a gap of 176 days.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Metro Railway introduced QR code-based ticketing system in East-West corridor for passengers on Saturday.

According to the metro railway sources, the facility will be extended to the North-South corridor in a few months after providing QR Code scanners and upgrading hardware of existing AFC gates in stations of the existing metro corridor.