CR: Number of ticketless commuters rise by 30%

In a major crackdown on errant commuters, the Central Railway (CR), Mumbai division, has recorded a 30 per cent increase in the cases registered against ticketless commuters. Over 3.26 lakh commuters were caught commuting without tickets or in the wrong compartment between April 1, 2013 and September 19, 2013, as against 2.70 lakh errant commuters caught during the corresponding period last year. While 11,456 cases are registered weekly, as many as 30,016 cases are reported on a monthly basis in the current year, as against 8,862 and 22,911 cases registered respectively, last year. The rise in the number of cases has also resulted in the increase in the revenue earned from the ticketless commuters. The revenue generated in the form of penalties is placed at '12.55 crore in the current financial year, as against '9.72 crore in the year 2012-13, which is an increase of 29.06 per cent. “Over 177 ticket checking staff members have formed flying squads. These squads conduct random checking in the trains and small stations. The daily monitoring of the ticket checkers’ performance has also led to better results,” said senior railway official, requesting anonymity. When contacted, CR’s senior public relations officer A.K. Jain said, “Credit goes to our ticket checking staff. However, the ticket checking drive is a continuous process. Our aim is not to generate revenue through these drives, but to ensure that no commuter travels without a valid ticket.”