Cash crunch: Delhi Metro raises Smart Card recharge ceiling to Rs 2,000 due to shortage of change

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is temporarily going to increase the ceiling of smart card recharge from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 from Sunday due to the paucity of short change following demonetisation.

The facility will be available until December 31, DMRC said in a statement. The move will help staff who man the ticket counters as well as the commuters, metro said.

“The present maximum top-up ceiling of Rs 1,000 was creating a problem as there is a shortage of new Rs 500 notes.  Moreover, metro staff was also finding it difficult to return change to those who were coming to recharge with Rs 2,000 notes,” a metro spokesman said.

DMRC expects that by December 31, there will be enough currency of various denominations, especially Rs 500, the official said.

Nearly 70 per cent of metro’s daily commuters, averaging around 27-30 lakh daily, are smart card users. The metro system registers around two lakh top-ups per day.