Indian Railways, in its endeavor to provide better services to bonafide railway users as well as to curb ticketless train travel, has conducted intensive campaigns regularly against ticketless and irregular travel. In a bid to ensure that only bonafide railway passengers travel in trains in accordance with guidelines issued by the government and following Covid-19 protocol, the Mumbai Division of the Central Railway zone conducts regular intensive ticket checking drives in suburban as well as non-suburban / Mail Express trains. According to details shared by Central Railways, in the month of May 2021, as many as 54,000 cases of ticketless/irregular passengers were detected and Rs. 3.33 crore were realized as penalty.
The zonal railway mentioned these included 32,000 cases in the suburban section yielding an amount of Rs 1.65 crore and 22,000 number of cases in the non-suburban section yielding an amount of Rs 1.68 crore. According to Central Railways, a total of 1.50 lakh cases of ticketless/irregular travellers were detected between the period 1 April 2021 to 31 May 2021 in non-suburban trains and suburban trains realizing a penalty amount of Rs 9.50 crore. In addition, 1269 cases of not wearing mask were detected by special teams of ticket checking personnel, realizing an amount of Rs 2,40,645 as fine during the period from 17 April 2021 to 2 June 2021.
According to the Central Railway zone, additionally, 2018 cases of unauthorized travel violating the Disaster Management Act were also detected by the national transporter. During the period 28 April 2021 to 31 May 2021, an amount of Rs 10,09,000 were realized as fine. The zonal railway further appealed to all railway passengers to travel with proper and valid train tickets in order to avoid any inconvenience and travel with dignity and follow all guidelines mandated by the government for the Covid-19 pandemic.
