E-Paper
0.5 million railway tickets cancelled in March-April
PUNE Due to the statewide lockdown and various strict restrictions imposed on public transportation, 0
PUNE Due to the statewide lockdown and various strict restrictions imposed on public transportation, 0.509 million passengers have had their railway tickets from Pune cancelled.
Ticket charges of ₹38 crore has been refunded to these passengers in March and April.
Since mid-Marchm, Covid cases have been rising in the state and city, and gradually, passengers also started cancelling tickets.
The RTPCR test is mandatory for passengers coming, or going, to other states from Pune.
“I had booked ticket to travel to my hometown Nagpur from Pune in April. However, due to the statewide lockdown restrictions, I cancelled the ticket and now I will go after couple of months,” said Sameer Waghchoure.
Due to a poor response by passengers, several trains are been cancelled by the Pune railway division. These include - Pune-Nagpur weekly special train, Pune-Ajni weekly special train, Pune-Amravati weekly special train and Kolhapur-Nagpur bi-weekly special. All these trains originate from the Pune railway division and have been cancelled due to occupancy of less than 15 per cent.
224 passengers fined for not wearing masks
Pune Railway Division has decided to fine passengers without masks, given the rush of passengers at the railway station traveling to various destinations across the country.
Since the order was declared by the Railways on April 18, so far, a total of 224 passengers have been fined ₹64,130.
“The rush has increased at the Pune railway station, so it is necessary to keep passengers safe. As per Covid protocol, all passengers should wear a face mask, maintain social distance and strictly follow safety rules for their own safety. A fine of ₹500 was levied on violators and we have fined 224 passengers and collected ₹64,130 till now,” said Manoj Jhawar, Pune Railway Division spokesperson.
Welcoming this move of the Railways, Harsha Shah, president of the Railway Pravasi Group said, “The railway station is a place where crowding will be there, but our own safety is in our hands. If passengers do not wear a mask while traveling, they should be fined.”
