Bribe takes back seat as TCs take over long-distance trains

Updated on: 20 March,2009 08:15 AM IST |
Vedika Tripathi |

Passengers will no longer have to pay bribes to RPF personnel to get seats in general compartments

Passengers will no longer have to pay bribes to RPF personnel to get seats in general compartments

Passengers who travel long distance will no longer have to pay bribes to get a seat in the crowded general

compartment. After receiving several complaints of passengers about Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel asking for a little something in exchange for a seat, Central Railway's (CR) general manager, B B Modgil, has decided that tickets checkers will allot seats.

For now, these changes have been made only in CR stations like CST, Dadar, Kurla, Thane and Kalyan. "Taking money from passengers to allot seats is totally illegal," added Mudgerikar.

In all train compartments other than the general one, it's the ticket checkers who assign seats.

Mixed reactions

Passenger Ramnath Ojha, who has allegedly been forced by RPF personnel to pay up a number of times, is now happy. "I've always had to pay Rs 50 or Rs 100 as bribe to get one seat in the general compartment. This new step is a good idea," he said.

However, Mohan Singh, who frequently travels in general compartments, doesn't agree with Ojha. "This new system will last only a few days. Soon, instead of RPF personnel asking for bribes, the ticket-checking staff will do so," he said.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels