if you are one in a hurry (the buy would cost peanut and few
minutes only !!) - today evening as I
stood before Triplicane MRTS counter (mine is valid for 3 more days !!) – the courteous
Railway clerk handed over me a form, asking to fill-it up and return with Xerox
copy of a valid ID (there is no xerox shop in vicinity, much similar in many
other MRTS stations !!) – a format –
yes, in fact an Undertaking by Season Ticket Holders that they would follow the
Season Ticket rules and will not indulge in any anti social / unlawful
activities or commit any offense under IPC or Railway Act while availing the
Season ticket ………………………………
Indian Railways, Government and Railways Minister D V Sadananda Gowda – were in news recently, not for their efforts in going green. They are trying to use solar energy to power
the trains and about 30 coaches of DEMUs (Diesel Electric Multiple Units)
deployed as local trains around Delhi ……. But for the steep price hike ! in rail passenger and freight fares -
the first dose of the "bitter medicine" – which was later
mellowed down. For my travel from
Triplicane to Kasturibai nagar (ticket valid from Chennai Beach to Velachery –
the price is Rs.5) - season ticket used
to cost Rs.105/- - now a whopping
Rs.120/-
Intrigued
by the form – here is something extracted from Season Ticket Rules of Railways
effective May 2007.
Season
tickets are issued for suburban as well as non-suburban sections. Fares for
Second Class MST is equivalent to the fares for 15 single journeys by second
class (Ordinary) uniformly for all distances. Fares for First class MST
continues to be four times the Second Class MST fares. Season tickets to
children are issued at half of the adult season ticket fare. Quarterly Season
tickets are charged at 2.7 times of the normal adult/child MST fare.
Season
tickets are issued for First and Second classes only and these tickets are
valid in the class for which they are issued. Only one season ticket is issued
to a passenger to travel between the stations serving his place of residence
and place of work/studies. If the passenger is found with more than one season
ticket to flout the distance limits, the additional season ticket will be
treated as invalid. First class season ticket holders are not allowed to travel
in AC coaches. Season tickets are issued upto 150 Kms. only.
The rules state that a photo Identity Card,
alongwith a plastic cover, is issued to every season ticket holder at a nominal
cost. In addition to above, the Identity Card, Pan
Card, Passport, Driving Licence, Voter Identity Card and Credit Card issued
with photograph by any Government in India or some Government agency in India,
will also be accepted as proof of identity for issue and renewal of season
tickets. Season tickets are not valid
for travel in reserved coaches and trains. Season ticket can be renewed 10 days
in advance of the date of expiry. In such cases, it will be made valid only
after the date of expiry and not from the date of renewal.
In the
recent proposal, MST wre sought to be enhanced to 30 single journey fare for
the same distant slab. Later it was
modified enhancing the cost by only 14.2%
With regards – S. Sampathkumar.
