The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Complaint of anomalies in smart card

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Complaint of anomalies in smart card

By N. Ravi Kumar

CHENNAI, SEPT. 13. What is expected of a fleet operator when he purchases fuel using the smart card of a leading marketing company? Stay smart!

At least, this appears a pre-requisite going by the experience of a Chennai-based fleet operator with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation, many of its petrol pumps and the Smart Fleet Card.

The main complaint of R. Saravanan is that at a host of the petrol pumps the quantity of fuel dispensed does not correspond to the amount deducted from the debit card.

The alleged distortion, he says, happens when the petrol pump attendants fill fuel for a lesser amount and share the balance of money for which the card is swiped with the vehicle driver.

Producing copies of the complaint he filed at 12 petrol pumps of the company in the city and one with the police for `false billing,' Mr. Saravanan says one of the main causes for the anomaly is that the swipe card system and the dispensing unit function in isolation.

The alleged irregularities, he says, came to light when there was a sharp drop in the mileage of his vehicles and an increase in fuel consumption.

`One-off case'

A senior BPCL official termed the complaint a ``one-off case being blown out of proportion.'' The company, according to a team of officials, who spoke to The Hindu , pointed out that a few staff members at one of the petrol bunks, where the fleet operator registered a complaint in July, were sacked.

Further investigation into his other complaints was in progress and the dealers in question were asked explain. Noting that thousands of fleet operators throughout the country were using the card and many of them commended the card, the officials charged Mr. Saravanan with luring the staff at many of the petrol pumps to commit the mistake.

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