Hue and cry at rly station as fares see 14.2% increase

City railway station witnessed hue and cry on Wednesday with passengers coming to know of implementation of the 14.2% hike in rail fares.

The increase in prices got implemented only for the reserved tickets from the midnight of June 25.

As passengers reached the station to board their trains, they heard announcements being made about the increased fare and directions to pay the difference in price at platform itself.

“I do understand that railways need money. But why put such a high and sudden burden on the passengers. A 14.2% hike is extreme,” said Akhilesh, a passenger at the railway station.

Another passenger, Asmita, said, “The increase in fare will burn a hole in the pockets of regular passengers, as it will hit their budget directly. A little hike could have been tolerated. Modi government should have thought about the poor people travelling in trains before imposing such a severe hike.”

HIKE FOR ORDINARY TICKETS FROM JUNE 28

Passengers buying tickets on the spot can heave a sigh of relief for three more days, as the increased fare for them would be implemented from June 28. Circular from the Railways made it clear that from June 25 increased fare would be implemented for reserved tickets only, while passengers travelling on ordinary tickets have to pay increased fare from June 28.

PASSENGER FARE TABLES LEAVE TTEs CONFUSED

Travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) were a confused lot on Wednesday as they got ‘passenger fare tables’ to calculate the increased fare in case a passenger was found travelling without a ticket.

Chief inspector Manohar Lal Parashar said, “The fares listed in the booklet are not very clear to us, as they reflect a 10% hike, but the announced hike is 14.2%. Thus, we will face problems in case people are found travelling without tickets.”