Title - Commuters cry foul over railway fare hikes, continued poor service

MUMBAI: People who travel first class are bitter about the railway ministry's decision to increase fares for the fourth time in less than a year, given that the authorities have failed to provide comfortable travel. They are particularly bitter about the 3.73% service tax the government imposed in October.

"What was the justification of this imposition on only first-class commuters ? First-class compartments are identical to second-class ones in the new rakes. The only difference is in the quality of seats, but most of those who travel first class do so standing as seldom is there any place to sit," said Mira Road resident Jaldeep Pandya.

Livid harbour line commuters say that apart from an MUTP surcharge, they also pay a CIDCO surcharge. "We witnessed a significant increase in our train travel costs last April when the total fare in some instances increased by Rs 200. Taking into consideration the service tax hike and also the MUTP surcharge , the cost of a first-class monthly season ticket became Rs 1,020," said Panvel resident Rajesh Shah. "This will go up further still. Harbour line commuters are feeling cheated as they do not even have the benefit of increased services or a fast corridor. Moreover, harbour line is prone to disruptions and megablocks."

Central Railway's main line commuters feel MUTP is more beneficial to WR commuters and so CR train users should be spared the surcharge concerned . "CR is yet to switch to alternating current. Nor are the fifth and sixth lines connected between Kurla and CST, and Thane and Diva. The fare calculation is erroneous," said Thane commuter Samir Pachpute. "On January 1, the CST-Thane MST fare was revised to Rs 640 from Rs 600. After the latest hike comes into effect from January 21, the fare will further increase by Rs 10. In less than a year's time, I have started paying Rs 75 more for the same journey, without any plausible reason ." Saki Naka resident Anil Galgali, who commutes by bus and train, said, "In the past, citizens were proactive and would pour into the streets to protest against even small fare increases. But now, life is faster and people are left with little time for activism. Only a few consumer groups bother to oppose the frequent hikes in court. For the average citizen, protest translates into a boycott of a particular mode of transport, which is ultimately self-defeating ."

While monthly travel expenses have gone up by almost 40%, salaries have not kept pace, said consumer rights activist Sunil Mone. "The fact that all possible means of transport have become costlier is pinching the common man's pockets. Soon, we will have to think twice before planning a

Toilets

At many stations, there is an acute shortage of toilets and urinals, especially for women. The railways is expected to build more of these facilities as the railway minister has said cleanliness at stations is a priority. Not only are toilets present at select platforms, they are poorly maintained because of a lack of funds

ATVMs

More smartcard-operated automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) can be installed if the spending power of the railways increases. While the current number of ATVMs is not enough, the machines often do not work due to a lack of maintenance, again because of a lack of funds. The railways can ensure periodic maintenance if additional funds are allocated

Times View

Better service must follow higher fares

It's true railway ares have remained static over several years because of the muddled thinking of the previous regimes controlling the railway ministry. There has been an urgent need to hike revenue to take care of increasing costs and fund new projects. It's also unreasonable not to expect fares for other forms of commute (like the auto-rickshaw ) to rise over time, again to take care of rising input costs (like fuel). But there must be something in this for commuters as well. And it's not only railways we are talking about. Hiked auto-rickshaw and taxi fares, for instance, have not translated into fewer refusals. This is where it hurts. For the hike to be acceptable, hiked fares must be accompanied by better service. journey within the city."

Driving one's own vehicle, too, has become an even more unaffordable proposition, courtesy steep fuel prices. Finance professional Dharmesh Shah said, "The price of petrol is very high, as is the cost of diesel. My colleagues and I find traveling from home to work a much costlier affair."