The bot technology, to keep commuters per train down to 400, is being implemented on Kolkata Metro. West Bengal government roped in a private agency which set up a system that allows passengers to book time slots and pick originating and destination stations to generate a colour coded-epass. Colour-coded passes are easy for staff posted at the entrance of a station to spot and prevents unauthorized passengers from travelling.
The state government will have to study innovative methods that are being used in different cities across the world to decongest or disperse crowds of commuters or shoppers as it unlocks more activities aimed at reviving the economy. The public’s cooperation is necessary, but the government ‘s will is more important in such a n unprecedented situation.
Calibrated unlocking in Maharashtra has prompted government to work towards crowd control on transport systems. Pressure on both BEST and railways is expected to mount once private officegoers begin returning to work in larger numbers.
A railway official said, “The system is working in Kolkata and hence we have asked the state government to explore the possibility of implementing it in Mumbai.”
However, the state is a bit sceptical about using e-passes on railways for crowd control. An official said, “The Kolkata experience is good for our metro network which has access control. For railways it may not work because there is no one entry point. Also, till there is a workable way of crowd control, trains will not start.”
The official said the system could be tried out on the Versova-Ghatkopar metro which carts 4 lakh passengers daily. “Due to Covid-related restrictions, only 30-50% may travel. Hence, it is easy to undertake a trial on the Metro,” he said.
In the colour coded system, passengers are allowed access to stations based on pre-set limits. If commuters exceed a certain number, access is denied. The passenger would then have to abort his or her travel plan or book another time slot.
Colour codes are based on time slots to enable easy supervision and weed out unauthorized travelers. For example, those booking an 8-9 am slot may get a yellow pass.
Sanjoy Chatterjee, director of Ideation Technology, a tech partner with the Bengal government, said, “Railway officials from Mumbai had got in touch with us to understand the system.”
CR’s chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said, “The call to implement the system has to be taken by the state. The e-pass will ensure commuters do not flock in hordes.” He added that despite restrictions, at least 30% of train commuters currently are unauthorised travellers using fake I-cards. Many essential workers are yet to get QR codes. Hence, railways allow passengers to travel using I-cards.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-eyes-west-bengal-model-for-crowd-control/articleshow/78397129.cms
