Checking Metrorail's tickets

I have been criticizing Metrorail for some time and frankly I’m not yet planning on stopping to help them create a better service.

See I was once told I should be the change I want to see, and I’m really trying hard in helping Metrorail create the change I want to see by being an active commuter who:

1. Tap them on the shoulder when they do something good – not really a lot of those moments, but they there.
2. Share information with Metrorail that could help them better their service and this would include incidents on a train or line or station – they just have to do the follow-up.
3. Criticize them to better their service, especially customer service and communication.
4. Share information and assist fellow commuters with information.

I’ve written a few blogs on Metrorail and the terrible service. I’ve admitted that changing the system will not happen overnight and a better rail infrastructure will not appear as cable theft increases. There are three things Metrorail can implement and make a priority ASAP, for this to happen the different departments within the rail operator should work more integrated.

With the above as background, in November I was challenged to one day in peak time check train tickets at Cape Town station.

Obviously I was nervous, who wouldn't be, if you check the small font on the tickets.

I was given training, for about 5 minutes – due to security reasons I cannot give more details on this.

While I have new respect for ticket verifiers, my opinion on the way they work has not changed though.

I enjoyed the experience and learned a few exciting things. It was also exciting to see such friendly and some really grumpy faces early in the morning.

Checking all the info on a ticket, counting and greeting makes it a challenge to say how many people come pass you. All I know is that atleast seven trains stopped and those commuters came pass me – and this is not even adding those entering Cape Town station going to platforms. I would say I counted about 30 to 40 if not 45 tickets per minute, almost at the average, for a rookie.

Now that I have been to Metrorail’s operational centre, taken a trip on their Tourism Train and even check tickets, I have a few other things on my list to experience with Metrorail.