Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 8: An Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) has been installed at Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction railway stations to issue unreserved tickets. Despite the deployment of helpers and ticket distribution, this service was halted during the Covid period.

Due to the challenges faced by passengers in utilizing the ATVM directly, many opted to purchase tickets from counters instead. However, the Palakkad division of Southern Railway has devised a plan to maximize the utilization of these machines by deploying assistants. In the initial phase, 300 assistants have been assigned to locations with ATVMs, including Mangaluru Central, Mangaluru Junction, and Kasargod.

Currently, departmental staff are assisting passengers with ticket purchases, which has escalated their workload. Therefore, the introduction of assistants aims to alleviate this burden.

Mangaluru Central Station distributes unreserved tickets worth Rs 8 lac daily, while Mangaluru Junction station distributes Rs 2 lac worth of tickets each day. The department's goal is to transition entirely to ATVM-based ticket distribution. To facilitate this, 21 assistants will be assigned to Mangaluru Central and 9 to Mangaluru Junction, ensuring round-the-clock service availability to passengers.

Recruitment of assistants will be on a one-year contract basis, and they will not be railway department employees. Instead, assistants will earn income based on commissions from ticket sales. Applications for these positions can be downloaded from http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in, with the deadline set for May 24. Applicants must be above 18 years of age and have passed SSLC exams.