The Hindu Business Line : Flaunt your ticket with pride, says Railways

AFTER the coercive campaigns to check ticket-less travel did not produce the desired result, the Railways has realised that showing a man in handcuffs may not be the best way to ensure that people buy a proper ticket when they board the train.

From now on, you will be reminded about the pride and dignity of carrying your ticket through a series of "positive" advertisements that seek to appeal to the conscience of passengers. The Railways hopes that the ad campaign that kicks off this week would cajole more people to pay for their travel.

Of course, a deterrent will be the five-fold increase in the fine for ticket-less travel that comes into effect from Thursday.

"On our part, we are trying to ensure there is a dignified way in which a passenger can purchase a ticket. We understand if someone has to wait for an hour to purchase the ticket for a journey that may last less than that time, the tendency would be to try his luck. Accordingly, ticket vending facilities have been spruced up in the last couple of years," a senior Railway official said.

The Railways has ensured shorter queues by increasing the number of ticket counters, with computerised printing that allows any ticket to be bought from any counter and advance purchase of second class general tickets.

"It is no longer necessary for you to buy your ticket from the station where you have to board the train. We have already introduced the facility of buying any ticket from any counter and three-day advance purchase of unreserved tickets on a pilot basis on certain routes, which would eventually be extended to all centres," the official said.

The passenger reservation system has already been integrated across the different zones and one no longer has to approach specific counters for return journey tickets.

While buying a ticket may have become easier, the Railways has decided to come down strongly on ticket-less travel. The fine for travelling without a ticket or on an improper ticket has been raised from Rs 50 to Rs 250 and a drive would soon be launched to ensure compliance. The fine for not buying platform ticket has been raised to Rs 250.

In 2003-04, as many as 42 lakh ticket-less travellers were caught on Northern Railway alone and a sum of Rs 44 crore was collected as fine. The Railways is apparently counting on this to plug revenue leakages.

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