April 6: Queuing up at ticket counters is not the only option for passengers to buy or recharge smart cards at Dum Dum Metro station.

Two automatic card recharge and vending machines at the station - the busiest hub of the city's transport lifeline - are drawing more than the expected number of passengers, officials said.

Metro takes a detailed look at the smart machines.

What

The two machines at Dum Dum station can be used to buy a smart card or get one recharged. The machines also display the balance of a card. Simple instructions on the touchscreen ensure the transaction is hassle-free.

Both the machines have been built by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (Cris).

When

The first machine was installed on November 8. As it became popular with commuters, a second one was installed in March.

Mechanism

For a recharge, a passenger has to insert the card into the ATM-like machine after clicking on the recharge option. Then, one has to click on the desired amount and insert notes of Rs 100 or Rs 500 into the machine. The updated balance will be displayed on the screen and the card will be ejected.

The process is similar for buying a card. The passenger has to click on the "new card" option and insert the amount. A new card will come out from a vent on the left corner. The passenger has to pay the exact amount.

Volume

The machines together record around 150 daily transactions on an average, a Metro official at Dum Dum station said. During the first couple of weeks after the first installation, a Cris representative stood beside the machine to guide passengers. Passengers were well acquainted with the system by the time the second machine was installed. "If any passenger faces any problem, the people around guide him/her," a Metro official said.

Gaps

There is no signage directing passengers towards the machine. A section of the staff at the station was unaware that the second machine had been installed.

Passengers

Shatadru Mullick, who works at an accounting firm in the Park Street area, has switched from queues at ticket counters to the recharge machines. "It saves me a fair amount of time. Just like going to an ATM saves time," said the Sodepur resident, who takes Metro six days a week.

Rashmi Mishra, a student of Rabindra Bharati University, wants such machines at other stations, too.

Plan

The Metro authorities are planning to procure three more machines. "It has not yet been decided where they will be installed. Rabindra Sadan and Esplanade stations are on the radar," said Protyush Kr Ghosh, deputy general manager and Metro spokesperson.