DMRC is introducing some changes in its smart cards, including increasing the minimum add value to Rs 100 from May 21.
"As most of the Delhi Metro's smart card users are regular travellers and with the opening of Rapid Metro and more corridors of Phase III, the maximum fare required for travel will increase as the commuters would cover more distance.
"Therefore, increasing the minimum add value of the cards will help the commuters as they won't have to stand in queue to recharge their cards time and again," ED Corporate Communications Anuj Dayal said.
The initial minimum add value of the smart cards has been increased from existing Rs 50 to Rs 100, out of which refundable security of Rs 50 is kept unchanged.
Subsequently, from the next transaction the minimum add value will be of Rs 200 and further add values can be in multiples of Rs 100.
In case of web top-up, minimum add value amount will be Rs 100 and multiple of Rs 50 (i.e. Rs 100, 150, 200, 250 up to 1000).
About 12,000 smart cards are refunded every day, of which 9 per cent of smart cards are purchased and refunded on the same day.
Similarly, around 30 per cent smart cards are purchased and refunded within the same month.
This has resulted in a pile up of nine lakh smart cards to be refurbished at a cost to DMRC, Dayal said.
Therefore, the administration charges for the refund of smart cards will be revised from Rs 5 to Rs 20. This measure has been taken to offset increase in cost of transaction and discourage the frequent or daily refund of smart cards.
The new measures will help in streamlining the refund system, he added.
About 70 per cent of Delhi Metro travellers are smart card users, who are able to avail a discount of 10 per cent on all their journeys by the Metro whenever they use smart cards.
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