Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

Calcutta's metro system on the fritz

Monday, December 21, 2009

Calcutta transit authorities are scrambling to fix the city’s metro system after malfunctioning gates have lead to mass free rides, according to The Times of India.

Unluckier commuters are stuck paying double for a single ride, and smart card holders can’t even use their cards.

Cheap paper tickets are being issued as a quick fix, leaving many senior officials embarrassed that nothing was done sooner to prevent a meltdown of the worn out system.

The Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is planning to go in for a tendering process early next year, but it will take a few months to find the right agency to set up and maintain the system. In the best case scenario the problem will be solved by July 2010.

Read more here. [end] 

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