For better crowd management, CMRL is planning to introduce a single tapping system in the metro stations!!
Managing huge crowds is not easy and the Chennai Metro Rail Limited or CMRL is making news now for this.
It is now said that CMRL is having plans to introduce a single tapping system at the Automatic Fare Collection or AFC gates when bigger events take place in Chennai. It is well known that on Sunday after the airshow chaos erupted at the metro stations due to overcrowding.
Point is that the higher officers and the team at CMRL are working now to introduce a system. It is brought out that for this there would be some discussions with SBI also.
As per an official belonging to CMRL it was clear that more than the additional AFC gates only innovative and seamless techniques would help in managing the crowds and easy flow of passengers. He added that for this CMRL is considering single tapping especially during the bigger events in the city.
One important drawback regarding introducing the single tapping system is that only closed loop cards or travel cards would be easier to enable. It is worthy to mention here that unlike the travel cards NCMC cards require tapping at both entry gates as well exit gates in the metro station. For the sake of some software changes, CMRL would approach SBI.
Devising a protocol:
For quick passage of commuters at the entry points and be charged at the exit gates, CMRL would devise a protocol. This was mentioned by an official from CMRL. He added that if the venue is Government Estate Metro Station then crowds would be allowed to pass through the AFC gates and be charged at the exit station by a single tapping system. Those who have not tapped in at the metro station would be revealed while tracking the entire ridership. It is learnt that the department is still in the initial step of deliberation on which methods are feasible.
The surprising piece of information is that forty to fifty percent of passengers on Sunday were first time travellers on the metro trains. The official from CMRL concluded that through IPL and air show CMRL would soon have high ridership.
