The number of senior citizens in Kolkata is the highest population of Indian metropolitan cities and many of them do not use digital payment.
In a bid to facilitate commuting by minimizing the line of queues at the ticket booths, Kolkata Metro is considering going cashless, general manager Subhransu Sekhar Mishra said on Friday.
To cut down on queues waiting to purchase tickets manually, Mishra told the Foundation Day celebration held at New Esplanade station Kolkata Metro that passengers will use the mobile application or smart cards to purchase tickets as a larger scheme to digitalise services across the metro system.
Although the shift is in line with the national Indian move to digital payment, there are still some Kolkatans, primarily the elderly citizens, day workers and small scale entrepreneurs who are yet to embrace the shift.
Out of the 2011 census, the number of individuals aged 60 years and above in Kolkata stands at approximately 12 per cent of the total population of the metropolitan area in India; this is highest in comparison to all other metropolitan areas in India.
A number of older passengers are not tech-savvy to implement mobile ticketing applications or UPI systems, and they usually rely on their family members to take care of electronic payments on their behalf.
The 70-year old commuter Krishna Niyogi of Bansdroni said, I can use a smart card since my son recharges it on my behalf. However, it is not easy to use an application to book tickets or use QR codes. What would happen if the phone battery runs empty, or the application fails to operate?
Security and convenience were other issues raised by others. I like cash more than online transactions. It is more convenient to a person like me because there will be no fear of being cheated or transferring money to a false account.
Moreover, I have trouble remembering pins and passwords at this age and with my health condition, said Binita Roy, 66, who is a resident of Behala Chowrasta. I cannot afford to only use UPI payment to use on daily commute or going to the market. Cases where that were the case I will need some help.
Workers with less privileged backgrounds have another barrier, however, not all of them own a smartphone and/or have constant access to a stable internet connection.
The 28-year-old Parul Das, a domestic worker in Bakultala, is a smartphone user with no access to UPI. I take metro to go to Esplanade or New market. It is cash transaction to me always.
The payment of my salary is on a cash basis per month. I hate the trouble that I need to deposit it to bank and later carry out transactions. I also cannot comprehend the functionality of digital payment. It scares me,” she added.
Calls to My Kolkata to a representative of Metro Railway, Kolkata were not answered. Formal response by metro authorities on this matter is awaited.
