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The smart card system deployed on the Metro subway network in the Indian city of Kolkatta has come under scrutiny because of many overcharging and malfunctioning complaints, local newspaper The Times of India reported. According to the report, the contactless smart card readers at many gates were failing to read the smart cards, while others were overcharging the customers. "We have received complaints, some more than before, this month about overcharging," an official from the Metro tells CardLine Global. "We are looking into the matter." The Kolkatta Metro had recently replaced paper tickets on a limited scale with contactless smart cards and smart tokens. According to the official, the system has been under pressure because the tech vendor that was supposed to deploy and maintain the system has backed out. "The West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation [Webel] was in charge of the project," he says. "We had a contract with Webel to maintain all entry and exit gates, but for reasons best known to the company, Webel opted out." According to the official, the Metro has approached Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to take up the matter. "We should be completely free of these bugs in a month," the official adds.
