e-ticketing at Taj from August

Vijay Upadhyay
Agra. This August could see an end to the woes of tourists who are made to wait in long queues at the Taj Mahal entrance.

Acting on the complaints lodged regarding the complex process of issuing tickets for entry to the Taj, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is preparing to introduce e-ticketing system for entry to the monument in August this year.

According to Assistant Superintending Archaeologist ASI Agra, SK Sharma, the system will be similar to that of the Kolkata and Delhi Metro Rail with a magnetic strip-equipped ticket being used to open a "turnstile" gate automatically for each person who would have to buy an individual ticket marked with a date and time of entry.

He said that the e-ticket would initially ASI staff would be given the authority to issue these tickets. Later on, the process will shall be automated with ticket vending machines being installed at major tourist hubs, including five-star hotels.

According to officials, once a person enters the monument, the ticket would be electronically marked as "used" and it would have to be re-inserted in the ticket reading machine at the exit point before the exit gate of the monument is opened. The ticket would then be stored inside the ticket-reader with a time for both entry and exit providing complete real-time tally of those entering and exiting the monument.

The unique ticketing system would also be installed at Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The Taj Mahal would be the only monument in Agra to be equipped with the system. The system was being used in the test phase at Humayun's Tomb in Delhi.

The e-ticketing system will also ensure that children below 12 years and VVIPs are permitted entry to the monument only if they possess a valid entry ticket, even though it would be a 'free' ticket.

According to ASI officials, it had also been decided that special tickets would be sold to foreigners in Indian rupees as it had been observed that the fluctuating rates of the US dollar opened doors to black-market trading of US dollars in return for Indian rupees.

There had been several complaints that the staff posted at the monument purchased US dollars in exchange of Rs 45 and pocketed the additional Rs 5, thus marking that the ticket was sold at 10 US dollars instead of Rs 500.

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