Penalty on Non Production of ID Proof alongwith Reserved Ticket

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 4345

ANSWERED ON 20.02.2014

4345 . SUPRIYA SULE

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Railways are aware that a large number of passengers are being penalized for failure to produce original photo ID document along with their ticket;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for not accepting the photocopy of the valid ID document, as accepted in other cases; and

(c) the details of the passengers penalized for not producing original ID document and amount of penalty recovered as a result thereof during the last three years, year and zone- wise?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY)

(a) & (b) No, Madam. However, some cases of passengers travelling without the prescribed original proof of identity do come to notice. With a view to minimise the scope of misuse of reservation system, it has been stipulated that in case of passengers travelling in reserved classes, a passenger has to produce any one of the prescribed proof of identity in original, failing which all the passengers are treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly. In case of Tatkal tickets, the original proof of identity as indicated on the ticket has to be carried. Since it is difficult to ascertain the genuineness and veracity of the passenger on the basis of photocopy, the same has not been allowed. However, in case of non-Tatkal tickets booked through computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) for Sleeper (SL) & Second Reserved (2S) classes, attested photocopy of ration card with photograph and passbook of nationalised bank with photograph has also been permitted.

(c) No separate data is maintained with regards to penalty collected from passengers on account of non-production of ID-proof in original. It forms a part of the amount realised from passengers travelling irregularly or without a proper ticket.

The provision of carrying Identity proof in original is applicable for travel undertaken in the reserved classes only. Also, only, one of the passengers booked on the ticket has to produce his/her proof of identity in original. Further, the measure was introduced in a phased manner and widespread publicity was given by Railways prior to its introduction. Hence, there has been no major incidence of cases where passengers have failed to produce Id card in original.