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.
