The Economics of Queues and Waiting
Queues in India: Ration Shops, Railways and Hospitals
India's large population and limited capacity make queues a daily reality, and technology is used to reduce them.
Waiting is part of public life.
Railways
Online booking replaced long ticket counter lines for many.
Hospitals
Tokens, appointments and telemedicine reduce crowding, though big public hospitals remain crowded.
Government services
Digital portals for licences and certificates cut visits to offices.
Ration and banks
Biometric verification and UPI reduced some queues but created new failure points.
An online ticket
A traveller books a train ticket in minutes instead of queueing for hours.
Assuming technology always ends queues
It can shift them.
Key takeaways
- Online booking cut some lines.
- Hospitals still crowd.
- Digital services reduce visits.
- New systems create new issues.
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