Ferozepur rly division recovers ₹5.21 cr from ticket defaulters

THE CHECKING TEAMS HAVE MANAGED TO BREAK THEIR PREVIOUS RECORD

LUDHIANA: : Initiating a rigorous checking drive, the Ferozepur division of the Northern Railways recovered Rs 5.21 crore as fine in April from ticket violators, surpassing its previous record. The division in March had collected Rs 3.96 crore as a fine but the checking teams have managed to break their previous record.

A total of 74,056 passengers were found travelling without tickets following which they were penalised and the collection was done on the spot across the Ferozepur division. While most of these violators tried to elope in a group, a few passengers were even found travelling with old tickets. According to officials, some didn’t have valid identity cards and thus the checking teams recovered the fare as well as the penalty amount from the violators.

Ludhiana collects ₹2.30 crore fine in April

However, ticket checkers in Ludhiana collected a total of Rs 2.30 crore as a fine in April.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana-based TTE Ramroop Meena collected a fine of Rs 27, 13,340 lakh which is the highest individual penalty collection across the Ferozepur division in April this year. The ticket checking teams other than checking in trains were seen stationed at the exit points of every platform or at the railway footbridges to nab violators.

“In case of long queues at booking counters, passengers tend to board the trains without taking a ticket. This mostly happens in the long route trains or mostly in the trains plying to Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. Railways incur a major loss because of such passengers and thus we keep a special vigil in such trains,” said a ticket checker in Ludhiana.

Penalties for littering Ferozepur division teams also imposed a littering fine on 254 passengers and collected Rs 41,000 for the violation under the Anti-littering Act.

Divisional railway manager (DRM) Seema Sharma, however, warned offenders from travelling without a ticket.

“We will continue with our checking drives as our aim is to curb such illegal practice. People should refrain from doing such activities to avoid social and legal harassment,” said the divisional railway manager.

Notably, despite gathering record-breaking revenue, the railways have failed to provide basic facilities to passengers.