Railways campaign against ticketless travelling menace

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

The Pakistan Railways Karachi Division has warned that passengers travelling on tickets not issued their own name would be treated as ticketless and charged with actual fare along with penalty.

The warning has arrived in a set of guidelines issued on the directives of the Divisional Superintendent, Anzar Ismail Rizvi, to facilitate the genuine passengers. 

The DS Railways revealed that the step was taken as part of measures adopted to check black marketing of tickets which is believed to be at its peak in the season of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha when a large number of people prefer commuting on trains. 

Millions of Karachi residents, settled in the commercial capital of the country to earn their livelihoods, try level best to travel to their respective native towns and villages. Even by running additional Eid Trains, the Railways authorities find it difficult to cope with the massive numbers of upcountry-bound passengers.

The Pakistan Railways, however, has decided to facilitate the passengers by controlling the menace of ticketless travelling as well as curbing black-marketing of the tickets. 

Anzar Rizvi disclosed that the Divisional Commercial Officers have been deputed to check passengers travelling without ticket or on tickets issued on fake names, adding that strict checking in this regard will start from August 10 and will continue till Eid days. 

He further stated that besides commercial staff, the non-commercial staff will also be deputed to check ticketless travelers and for this purpose they are being imparted a special training. The DS Railways hoped that intending travelers would follow the guidelines issued for passenger’s facilitation and thus play their due role towards bringing improvement in the service.

As per guidelines issued, any one coming on reservation counter for booking of seat, will have to carry the NIC of the actual traveler and while having a reservation also leave his/her mobile telephone number with the counter clerk. 

The intending passengers have been advised that before leaving the counter compulsorily check that the ticket issued to them does carry their name besides checking the name of destination station and date of departure. 

The passengers have been told that before leaving the counter, must take the balance amount and in case of any excess payment, make a complaint to concerned officer or Station Manager so that proper action could be taken in the matter. 

Anzar Rizvi admitted that the Pakistan Railways was passing through a very difficult phase of its history and he appealed to the travelling public to exercise patience in case a train suffered late departure and extend their cooperation to staff on duty at the railway station. He urged that in such a case, the staff on duty should not be subjected to violence and also to avoid causing damage to facilities provided for public at the station.