Ticketless travellers make WR richer by `114cr in 10 months

Western Railway collected Rs113.53 crore from 23.45 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel, including unbooked luggage, from April 2019 to Jan 2020, a rise of 7.40% from last year.

Moreover, 2,403 beggars and 5,278 unauthorised hawkers among others were apprehended, evicted, fined, and 1,255 persons were jailed in this period. In January 2020 alone, Rs9.43 crore was recovered in 2.12 lakh cases of ticketless/irregular travel, including unbooked luggage, 184 beggars and 567 unauthorised hawkers were apprehended, evicted, fined and 121 persons sent to jail.

Ravinder Bhakar, chief public relations officer, WR, said the commercial department conducted nearly 2,393 checks of touts and other anti-social elements, of which 2,139 persons were apprehended, prosecuted and fined under various sections of the Railways Act. “Also, 1,761 beggars were detected and removed from railway premises by the Surakshini squad from April 2019 to January 2020; of them 129 were detected in January 2020 alone,” he said.

Last month, 269 checks were conducted against touts and other anti-social elements and 318 persons were apprehended, prosecuted and fined under various sections of Railways Act.

“WR regularly conducts such drives against ticketless travellers. Senior officers are closely monitoring the revenue loss due to ticketless travel and other irregularities. WR urges rail-users to buy proper tickets and travel with dignity,” Bhakar said.