KOZHIKODE: Unauthorised passengers are ringing the Railway’s cash registers. The national transporter managed to generate Rs 6.69 crore in fines from ticketless riders at just its Palakkad division in the last four months alone. The amount was collected by 368 travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) who detected 1,35,800 cases between April and July.
The figures indicate an increase in illegal travel, despite efforts to crack down on the practice. According to official data, an average of 1,000 daily cases of unauthorised travel were reported in the division during the period under review.
Over the entire 2022-23 financial year, 3,13,881 passengers were booked for travelling with the wrong tickets or without one in the Palakkad division. This translated to a daily average of 870 cases. The amount collected as fines has also been registering an upward trend. Last fiscal, penalties generated Rs 16.93 crore in the division.
Compared to a monthly average of Rs 1.41 crore, the April-July period of 2023 generated an average of Rs 1.67 crore monthly.
A Railway official said the actual number of cases of unauthorised travel will be much higher than those detected. “It is not a simple task for officials to check all passengers -- especially in crowded general compartments. The major reason is the shortage of TTEs. While the sanctioned strength of TTEs in the division is 466, a total of 98 posts remain vacant,” the official added.
As per the Railway Act, unauthorised travel will entail a minimum fine of Rs 250, in addition to the actual cost of the ticket.
If a person refuses to pay the amount, he/she would be handed over to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and booked under section 137 of the act. Defaulters would be presented before the court and fined a maximum of Rs 1,000. Such persons can also be jailed for up to six months.