Ticket-checking squads rip-off rail commuters

KOCHI: The Railways’ decision to raise the monthly target of the ticket-checking squads from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 has put unnecessary pressure on the squads, which they apparently pass on to the commuters. “More often, in a bid to meet our target, we heavily fine passengers who have mistakenly boarded the sleeper coaches with tickets issued for the general compartment. We know that most of them are not at fault,” an official in the ticket checking squad said. According to the sources, the pressure to collect at least Rs 2,000 per day or Rs 50,000 a month has even made many among the squad members prone to criminal behaviour.Moreover, the sudden decision to cut down the number of squads in the Thiruvananthapuram division from 91 to 36 has also resulted in putting additional pressure on each squad member.However, the sources said that most often the squads avoid the passenger trains as the travellers are usually from a lower income group. “We are aware that though we fine ten commuters in passenger trains who do not have the required tickets, at least four among them will not have the money to remit the fine. On the other hand, express and superfast trains yield higher amounts,” an member of the squad said.Railway Passengers’ Association president Mathew Paul said: “The ticket squads are doing their duty. But their behaviour towards the people should change.”“My monthly pass  allows me to travel on concession in the general compartments of the Borakpur-Thiruvananthapuram Express. But one day, seeing the crowd, I was forced to enter a sleeper class coach as I was afraid that the train would start. To my bad luck, a member of a squad came and asked me for the ticket. I showed him my pass. He fined me Rs 350. I told him I did not have the money to pay him. He said that he would hand me over to the RPF, which he did.“Finally I had to ask my friend to come to the station and pay the cash to the person. Not all of them are the same. But at times, it would be better if they could be more polite,” said Varghese, a commuter.