Transgenders over 58 years to get concession in trains
NEW DELHI: Transgender above age of 58 years can now avail 50 percent senior citizen travel concession in base fare in all trains with Indian Railways finalising policy changes to recognise the third gender.
The move comes following the Supreme Court order directing the ministry to look into possibilities of providing travel concession and other facilities to transgender.
The new policy recognises transgender and a column will be added besides male and female in reservation/cancellation form and website.
“At present transgender used to check in either male/female in reservation form. We have finalised the policy and soon it will be in public domain. The apex court had asked for recognising transgender as third gender,” said a railway ministry official.
A PIL was filed in the high court citing violation of Article 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution by non-inclusion of transgender/third gender as a gender option in reservation/cancellation forms. The PIL has also demanded for providing reservation in births to transgender.
As per rules, male senior citizens of minimum 60 years and lady senior citizens of minimum 58 year are granted concession in the fares of all classes of Mail/Express/Duronto/Rajdhani/Shatabdi group of trains. The element of concession is 40 percent for men and 50 percent for women.
In computerised passenger reservation system there is a provision to allot lower births to senior citizens, female passengers above 45 years and above, automatically, even if no request is made, subject to availability of births.