Want Railway Season Ticket - Give Undertaking Not to Commit Any Offence !!!!

Do you live in a Metropolis … travel by train … buy season ticket – then here is something for you….. most of my friends hush and puff to catch the train – and suddenly realize that it is time to renew their monthly pass …. Some even realising that it was valid only till yesterday or a day before – might even get down at the next station, walk to the counter to renew the pass for another month ………..  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.