Covid-19: No concession for Senior citizens, several others on trains till threat persists
A release by the national rail services said travel concession for all categories except for students, patients and specially-abled stood withdrawn to discourage passengers from undertaking non-essential travel.
Indian railways on Thursday announced withdrawal of all but four concessions including the one for senior citizens on its network to discourage travel as part of efforts to prevent community transmission of the deadly coronavirus disease.
A release by the national rail services said travel concession for all categories except for students, patients and specially-abled stood withdrawn to discourage passengers from undertaking non-essential travel.
Railways offer 51 different types of concessions to a variety of people including senior citizens who enjoy upto 50% rebate on tickets of all trains during travel on the national rail network.
Teachers, war widows, awardees, artists and sportsperson, farmers, medical professionals and youths are among the different classes who enjoy concessional travel.
The railways have also cancelled several trains due to low occupancy as people cut down on non-essential travel in the wake of the infection and raised the price of platform tickets to discourage crowds on railway stations.
The railways also reported a loss of ₹454 crore for last week which saw the cancellation of as many as 184 trains including 99 on Wednesday.
Ministry data said a decline of 6.9 million passengers was seen in the reserved-seat category compared to the same period last year, which was a decline of nearly 45% in a week’s time.
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The national transporter has seen a jump in cancellations of booking up to 80% compared to the same period last year, according to a statement issued by the ministry of railways on Wednesday.
Railways decision comes amid coordinated efforts by the Central government departments to ensure prevention of community spreading of the highly contagious virus that has so far killed three citizens and infected 166 people across the country. The Centre on Wednesday ordered all departments and state-run firms to get 50 per cent of its middle and junior-rank officials to work from home and introduced staggered timings for others.
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The move is designed to minimise pressure on public transport and reduce the threat of the coronavirus infection spreading within the bureaucracy and it will apply for all central government departments, state-run firms and other bodies funded by the Centre.