528 passengers fined in an hour for travelling in first class compartments with second class tickets during ongoing drive at all major stations in Mumbai
528 passengers fined in an hour for travelling in first class compartments with second class tickets during ongoing drive at all major stations in Mumbai
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Slipping past hawk eyed Ticket Checkers (TC) at railway stations without a ticket or travelling with a IInd class ticket in a Ist class compartment might make one feel victorious for a moment or two, but your luck might have just run out.
The number of ticketless passengers on local trains in Mumbai has increased over the past and a considerably large number of IInd class pass holders are travelling Ist class.
Ticket checkers at Churchgate station inspect tickets of passengers
Shortly after MiD DAY highlighted the menace caused by ticketless travelers, railway authorities launched a drive to nab offenders on major stations on the local network.
According to a TC who was part of the drive on Tuesday, most passengers caught for flouting the rules say that they were forced to enter Ist class compartments because the other compartments were packed.
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Some even said that they were unable to tell the difference between Ist class and IInd class compartments, he added.
While WR conducted the drive at all major stations like Churchgate, Dadar, Mumbai Central, Bandra, Andheri and Virar from 8 to 11 am in the morning and 5 to 10 pm in the evening, CR did the same with CST, Dadar, Kurla, Thane and Kalyan.
TC fears
According to a senior railway official, during the drive on Tuesday with 90 TCs, WR caught and fined 106 passengers at Churchgate for travelling Ist class with IInd class tickets/passes during peak hours.
CR on the other hand puts its own numbers at 422 passengers caught and fined. According to officials of CR and WR, the total amount in fines collected for one day was Rs 94,000 for CR and Rs 32,000 for WR.
Crammed in
According to railway officials, local trains see a crowd of four and sometimes five times their capacity during peak hours.
The ladies Ist class compartments in WR have a seating capacity of 50 in both nine-coach and 12-coach rakes, but that number exceeds 400 during peak hours, according to railway officials.
CR rakes have capacity to seat 24 ladies in the Ist class compartments in nine-coach rakes and 36 in 12-coach rakes, but that number exceeds 200 and 300 respectively during peak hours.
The seating capacity in general Ist class compartments in WR is 100, 150 and 200 respectively for 9-, 12-, and 15-coach trains, while CR has seating capacity of 75 in nine-coach-and 104 in 12-coach rakes.
Passengers speak
MiD DAY spoke to few female passengers with Ist class passes/tickets using CR as well as WR who claimed that most IInd class passengers get into the Ist class compartments intentionally as they are aware that no TC will enter the coaches due to the heavy rush.
These numbers double during peak hours in the evening as they know that TCs are not active at that time, claimed another. Many IInd class passengers travel by Ist class compartments with IInd class tickets on a daily basis, said Ritika Jain, a regular commuter from Malad.
Male Ist class passengers complained equally about the same problem.
Santosh Kumar, who travels between Vithalwadi to CST everyday, said, "I regularly commute by the same train and recognise many persons who get down at Dadar in morning using IInd class, but the same persons board the Ist class in the evening. When asked for their ticket, they are rude and ask to be checked by a TC, which they know is not possible."
In full swing
Sharat Chandrayan, a WR railway official, said, "We have been getting complaints regarding lower class ticket holders travelling in the higher class.
We have begun the drive, which will be ongoing during peak hours everyday in ladies as well as gents compartments.
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Chandrayan informed that WR has 70 TCs including female staff involved in the drive during peak hours and will also has teams out during the afternoon.
A K Singh, PRO, CR, said, "This is a ongoing drive and we have got very good response. We will also be conducting this drive at other stations as well."
Helpline
If you spot ticketless travellers, you can SMS the authorities on 9004411111 for CR and 9004477777 for WR or you can write in to [email protected]
This is part of MiD DAY's month-long audit of experiences of travelling in and out of the city, where we take up people's issues and place them before the authorities to address.
So far in the campaign...
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Despite paying a hefty toll at the various toll nakas to exit and enter the city, all motorists get are pot-holed roads, no street lights and a virtual death trap at night
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