Western Railways decided to hike the cost of platform tickets by 400 per cent. A platform ticket which used to cost Rs 10 will now cost Rs 50.
Mumbai| Taking strict preventive measure against COVID-19, the railways on Tuesday increased prices of platform tickets from ₹10 to ₹50 for 250 stations in the country to minimise the footfalls at the stations.
A senior Railway Ministry official said that the zonal railways have decided to increase the prices of platform tickets.
“Platform ticket prices at 250 stations have been increased from ₹10 to ₹50 in several parts of the country,” he said.
The official further said that the Western Railways has increased the platform ticket fare to Rs 50 for railway stations of Mumbai, Vadodra, Ahmedabad, Ratlam, Rajkot and Bhavnagar.
“The increase in the platform ticket prices is a temporary measure to contain an extra load of people in the railway premises”, he said.
He also pointed out that in March 2015, the railways has delegated the power to Divisional Railway Managers (DRMS) to increase the rate of platform tickets beyond Rs 10 to regulate rush at platforms during specific requirements under intimation of its office.
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With 12 new cases of novel coronavirus infections reported in India on Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 patients in India climbed to 126, up from 114 a day earlier, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
“Generally, we hike platform tickets during festivities. But it is for the first time that it has been done during an epidemic. This is done to deter people from crowding on platforms,” said Chief PRO of the Western Railway, Ravinder Bhaker.
As on March 17, a total of 128 people in India have tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Maharashtra has the highest number of cases (39) and reported its first Covid-19 related death today.
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