QR code based identity cards for Surat porters

Surat: In its attempts to prevent passengers from being overcharged by porters at railway stations, the western railway (WR) is implementing a QR code based identification cards for the porters, the first of which is being tried at Surat railway station. On Friday, railway officials distributed these new identity cards and rate list to about 265 licensed porters operating at the railway station. It has been made compulsory for every porter to wear the QR-based identity card around the neck at the time of duty.
With this biometric card, inspecting officers will have instant access to individual porters’ entire details by using the dedicated mobile application. The cards will also feature a rate list on the top so that passengers can pay appropriately. The idea of porters carrying such rate cards in a visible manner was suggested by the passengers amenities committee (PAC) to the WR authorities after an inspection drive it had carried out on various railway stations falling in the WR section. Earlier, the PAC had received many complaints from passengers about porters overcharging them or charging different rates at different stations.

However, the porters are not very happy with the new card, though a few conceded that it will facilitate passengers in using their services.

Ganesh Jadhav, commercial inspector of Surat railway station said, “This biometric cards will allow us to track the porters through the specialised mobile application. On receiving the complaint, the entire detail of the porters can be accessed easily by entering the unique code of the porter.”

Jadhav further said that this will not only help in ending disputes between porters and passengers at the time of ferrying luggage between platforms, but also the illegal usage of the batch number of the licensed porters. “Now, the commuters will have to pay according to fixed rate charged on the weight of the luggage,” he added.