Mumbai The rail Budget does not seem to have done much for Mumbai. Bigger projects like the quadrupling of track on the Western Railway find little mention in the Railway Minister's speech. What have come Mumbai's way are ticket vending machines. But CNN-IBN reports that the commuter just not convinced with it.
The rail Budget has announced the setting up of 200 automated ticket vending machines for railways stations in Mumbai but what about the already existing faulty coupon machines.
Many of these machines do not work and passengers have to waste their time and then wait in the queue.
This notice is a common sight at Mumbai railway stations which says "coupon validating machine is out of order, coupon can be validated by stamping it from any counter" which directs the commuter back to the queue and clerk that he has been trying to avoid.
“Every time you have to go to the window to stamp then stand in queue. Lot of stations have defective coupon machines. What is the use of having them,“ says Swaroop Chand a commuter.
Another commuter Puran Dave says, “It is useful if it works but it doesn’t, even when it does the coupons are not printed properly. The day and date is not there, the ticket collector catches us and then the commuter has to pay a fine despite having a coupon.”
But some passengers have learnt to beat the system.
Mahesh Shah a daily commuter says, “These machines do not work and when it doesn’t I just remove it and put in my pocket and in frustration travel without ticket. Who can blame me now.”
While some may opt to travel ticket less, for many it is back to the long queues. Now everybody is looking forward how much difference the proposed automated ticket vending machines will make.
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