Public irked by rail tickets with old fares

Chennai: Austerity in government service is always welco­me. But not like in Sout­he­rn Railway (SR).

In ref­u­sing to do away with old tickets (printed with old denominations fixed a de­c­ade back), SR fuels regular al­t­e­­­rcation betw­e­en its booking clerks, age­nts and traveling public.

From abu­ses to weird looks, the booking agents daily und­e­r­go inexplicable suffering for the fault of the comme­r­c­ial department officials at Tiruninravur who refuse to issue new tickets.

Following fare revision effected after over a decade in January last, the ticket denominations in suburban train service were reduced to four (Rs 5, 10, 15, 20) from earlier nine.

However, the commercial department officials in Tiruninaravur continue to issue old tickets till date.

For instance, a travel from Nemmelichery to MMC (moore market complex) has been priced at Rs 10 as per new rates, but the printed ticket issued at Nemmelichery reads Rs 7.

“The fare printed and collected are the same in nearby Pattabiram station like elsewhere, why should I pay excess money here alone?” argued Nirmala Devan, a regular EMU commuter to MMC from there.

Likewise, Tirunin­r­a­vur commercial clerks have red flagged tickets to important stations like Tirupathi, Arakko­n­am, Ta­m­baram from Nem­m­e­l­i­c­hery station, again for want of tickets of specific den­omination. Some two-doz­en Tiru­p­athi bound pilgrims were turned away for wa­nt of tickets.

Likewise, hu­n­dre­ds of regular travelers bo­u­nd to Perambur Lo­co fr­om Nem­melichery had paid Rs 160 instead of the stipulated Rs 85 every month till a few months solely because the booking agent there had no season ticket for Rs 85.