We all have faced the problem of not having the right change or a long queue at the ticket counter while travelling. We end up missing trains or metros or it ends up in a nasty argument over change. But then we live in the 21st century when technology is our best friend. It's time we say goodbye to these.
Out of the various modes of public transport that we have in the city Metros, Locals and now Buses have a smart card each, which can be used to beat the queue. Now you might think this is for regular commuters and not for everyone. But if used smartly it can be helpful for everyone. In this blog post, I share with you all that you need to know to get smart cards and make the most of them.
Kolkata has three Smart Cards each for Metro Railways, Local trains under Eastern and South Eastern Railways and for State Buses issued by WBTC.
Kolkata Metro Smart Card:
1. It is available from any Metro Station.
2. It is valid for 1 year from the date of the last recharge.
3. The minimum cost of the card is Rs. 160.
4. There is a security deposit of Rs.160 and minimum recharge of Rs. 100.
5. It can be top-upped (or recharged) with a minimum of Rs.100 and multiples of Rs.100.
6. Every time you recharge you get a bonus of 10% of the recharge amount. So if you recharge with Rs.500 you get Rs.50 as a bonus.
7. It can be recharged from any ticket counter or automatic kiosk from any metro station.
8. You can use the card till it has a balance of Rs. 25.
How to best use it?
Anyone who uses metro at least once in a month. Why? Because if you use Rs. 10 every month (Rs.5 is minimum fare so minimum return fare will be Rs.10) you will spend the minimum recharge of Rs. 100 in 11months. And you don't even need to have individual Smart Cards two-three persons in a family can share it and make the most of it. So rather than standing in a queue (which can take up to 10mins or more) to buy tokens every time you can use metro, use smart card save time and get a bonus.
#GetSmart & #BeatTheQueue
Kolkata Local Smart Card:
1. It is available from any Local Station.
2. It is valid for 1 year from the date of the last recharge.
3. The minimum cost of the card is Rs. 100.
4. There is a security deposit of Rs.50 and minimum recharge of Rs. 50.
5. It can be top-upped (or recharged) with a minimum of Rs. 50 and multiples of Rs. 50.
6. Every time you recharge you get a bonus of 10% of the recharge amount. So if you recharge with Rs. 500 you get Rs. 50 as a bonus.
7. It can be recharged from any ticket counter from any local station.
8. You can use the card till it has a balance of Rs. 5.
How to best use it?
Anyone who uses local at least once in a month. Why? Because if you use Rs. 10 every month (Rs.5 is minimum fare so minimum return fare will be Rs.10) you will spend the minimum recharge of Rs. 50 in 5months. And just like Metro Smart you can share it among two-three persons in your family and make the most of it. So rather than standing in a queue (which can take up to 15mins or more) to buy tickets every time you take a local train, use smart card save time and get a bonus.
#GetSmart & #BeatTheQueue
WBTC(Bus) Smart Card:
1. It is available from major bus depots and terminus like Esplanade, Karunamoyee, Jadavpur.
2. It is valid for 5 years from the date of the last recharge.
3. The minimum cost of the card is Rs. 100.
4. There is a security deposit of Rs.50 and minimum recharge of Rs. 50.
5. It can be top-upped (or recharged) with a minimum of Rs. 50 and multiples of Rs. 50.
6. Every time you recharge you get a bonus of 10% of the recharge amount. So if you recharge with Rs. 500 you get Rs. 50 as a bonus.
7. It can be recharged from major bus depots and terminus like Esplanade, Karunamoyee, Jadavpur.
How to best use it?
Anyone who uses govt. buses even once in a year. Why? Because if you use Rs. 10 every year (Rs.5 is minimum fare so minimum return fare will be Rs.10) you will spend the minimum recharge of Rs. 50 in 5years. And just like Metro Smart you can share it among two-three persons in your family and make the most of it. So rather than troubling yourself with finding change to buy tickets every time you take a bus use smart card save hassle and get a bonus.
#GetSmart
*WBTC Card might also be accepted by ferries and trams soon. So those using these modes of transport can also use it.
Today having a smart card is not a luxury used by daily commuters but in this digital age, it is a must for every Kolkatan. Anyone who uses Metro, Locals or Buses should get one of these and save time and hassle involved in the daily commute. So #GetSmart & #BeatTheQueue & be #CashLess
Out of the various modes of public transport that we have in the city Metros, Locals and now Buses have a smart card each, which can be used to beat the queue. Now you might think this is for regular commuters and not for everyone. But if used smartly it can be helpful for everyone. In this blog post, I share with you all that you need to know to get smart cards and make the most of them.
Kolkata has three Smart Cards each for Metro Railways, Local trains under Eastern and South Eastern Railways and for State Buses issued by WBTC.
Kolkata Metro Smart Card:
1. It is available from any Metro Station.
2. It is valid for 1 year from the date of the last recharge.
3. The minimum cost of the card is Rs. 160.4. There is a security deposit of Rs.160 and minimum recharge of Rs. 100.
5. It can be top-upped (or recharged) with a minimum of Rs.100 and multiples of Rs.100.
6. Every time you recharge you get a bonus of 10% of the recharge amount. So if you recharge with Rs.500 you get Rs.50 as a bonus.
7. It can be recharged from any ticket counter or automatic kiosk from any metro station.
8. You can use the card till it has a balance of Rs. 25.
How to best use it?
Anyone who uses metro at least once in a month. Why? Because if you use Rs. 10 every month (Rs.5 is minimum fare so minimum return fare will be Rs.10) you will spend the minimum recharge of Rs. 100 in 11months. And you don't even need to have individual Smart Cards two-three persons in a family can share it and make the most of it. So rather than standing in a queue (which can take up to 10mins or more) to buy tokens every time you can use metro, use smart card save time and get a bonus.
#GetSmart & #BeatTheQueue
Kolkata Local Smart Card:
1. It is available from any Local Station.
2. It is valid for 1 year from the date of the last recharge.
3. The minimum cost of the card is Rs. 100.4. There is a security deposit of Rs.50 and minimum recharge of Rs. 50.
5. It can be top-upped (or recharged) with a minimum of Rs. 50 and multiples of Rs. 50.
6. Every time you recharge you get a bonus of 10% of the recharge amount. So if you recharge with Rs. 500 you get Rs. 50 as a bonus.
7. It can be recharged from any ticket counter from any local station.
8. You can use the card till it has a balance of Rs. 5.
How to best use it?
Anyone who uses local at least once in a month. Why? Because if you use Rs. 10 every month (Rs.5 is minimum fare so minimum return fare will be Rs.10) you will spend the minimum recharge of Rs. 50 in 5months. And just like Metro Smart you can share it among two-three persons in your family and make the most of it. So rather than standing in a queue (which can take up to 15mins or more) to buy tickets every time you take a local train, use smart card save time and get a bonus.
#GetSmart & #BeatTheQueue
WBTC(Bus) Smart Card:
1. It is available from major bus depots and terminus like Esplanade, Karunamoyee, Jadavpur.
2. It is valid for 5 years from the date of the last recharge.
4. There is a security deposit of Rs.50 and minimum recharge of Rs. 50.
5. It can be top-upped (or recharged) with a minimum of Rs. 50 and multiples of Rs. 50.
6. Every time you recharge you get a bonus of 10% of the recharge amount. So if you recharge with Rs. 500 you get Rs. 50 as a bonus.
7. It can be recharged from major bus depots and terminus like Esplanade, Karunamoyee, Jadavpur.
How to best use it?
Anyone who uses govt. buses even once in a year. Why? Because if you use Rs. 10 every year (Rs.5 is minimum fare so minimum return fare will be Rs.10) you will spend the minimum recharge of Rs. 50 in 5years. And just like Metro Smart you can share it among two-three persons in your family and make the most of it. So rather than troubling yourself with finding change to buy tickets every time you take a bus use smart card save hassle and get a bonus.
#GetSmart
*WBTC Card might also be accepted by ferries and trams soon. So those using these modes of transport can also use it.
Today having a smart card is not a luxury used by daily commuters but in this digital age, it is a must for every Kolkatan. Anyone who uses Metro, Locals or Buses should get one of these and save time and hassle involved in the daily commute. So #GetSmart & #BeatTheQueue & be #CashLess
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