Metro ticket machines glitch as users keep inserting torn, non-readable banknotes
Metro Rail is witnessing low passenger turnout since Sunday
The ticket vending machines at metro rail stations have continued to suffer glitches as users keep inserting damaged banknotes or Tk500 and Tk1,000 notes in the machines, which are not programmed to accept those notes.
People have been notified not to insert old or Tk500-1,000 banknotes in the machines.
On Monday morning, three ticket vending machines at the Agargaon station started acting up, causing suffering to the enthusiastic passengers who queued up in front of the station in the foggy winter morning.
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When contacted, MAN Siddique, managing director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, told The Business Standard, "Some people inserted old banknotes and notes of Tk500-1000 into the vending machines at Agargaon, causing them to shut down several times Monday. Every time our technical team fixed the issue within minutes and recovered the unaccepted banknotes."
There are three automated ticket machines at the Agargaon station for passengers to collect travel passes using a digital system, alongside three other general ticket counters.
Reportedly, one of the automated machines broke down around 8:50am Monday morning, followed by the other two machines.
A metro rail technician team was seen working to fix the issues but the machines malfunctioned repeatedly. The machines' monitors either went all dark or showed error messages.
In response to another question, MAN Siddique said there have been many banknotes issued in our country in the last 50 years. "The machine has a capacity. Not all banknotes can be inserted into the machines. We have programmed them to recognise notes released in the last five-year period," he said.
"The machines will not accept Tk500 or Tk1,000 banknotes because if everyone inserts such big notes for a fare of Tk60, then it will not be possible to provide change for so much money," MAN Siddique said.
Meanwhile, the Metro Rail has been witnessing low passenger turnout since Sunday. On Sunday, 6,528 single tickets were sold, compared to 9,289 tickets on Saturday.
In addition, some 1,038 MRT passes were sold on Sunday compared to 1,348 MRT passes on the previous day.
