Mumbai: Western Railway wants to slap Rs 1,000 as fine for travel without ticket

This will give you second thoughts about travelling without ticket in the local train, or crossing tracks. The Western Railway (WR) has proposed a four-time increase in fines levied for ticket-less travelling, spiking the penalty from Rs 250 to Rs 1,000.

WR authorities have sent the proposal to the Railway Board in Delhi, and presented it to Ashwani Lohani, Chairman of Railway Board during his visit to the city last week.

As the ratio of ticket checkers and commuters is skewed and the probability of being caught, less, Railways hopes this move will discourage truant behaviour.

Just in April, WR registered 3.94 lakh cases of ticket-less travel, including carrying unbooked luggage. Fines from such cases amounted to Rs 15.34 crore – a 26 per cent rise from April 2017.

Authorities have also asked the Railway Board to allow Ticket Checkers (TCs) and Station Masters to catch and levy fines on those caught trespassing, crossing tracks and travelling in wrong coaches (such as Ladies, First Class or Divyang).

They have also asked for hand-held devices for TCs which will enable them to levy spot fines for cases of trespassing, crossing railway lines and other such offences. This move will lessen the burden on the Railway Police Force as they book the truant commuter under the relevant sections and present him or her to the Magistrate.

Once TCs are allowed to make spot fines, these red-tapism will be eliminated. The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is working towards getting these devices.