Sale of train tickets in black market in full swing ahead of Eid

Rates of bus, train tickets shoot up as people head home to celebrate holidays with loved ones

KARACHI: People who had plans of going back to their hometowns to celebrate Eid are left with no choice but to purchase tickets in the black market, as the commuters are not getting tickets from railways reservation offices at the Cantt and City stations.

"I am going to Rawalpindi and repeatedly requested the people sitting in the reservation office for a train ticket but they bluntly refused," Dr Zahid Malik lamented. He wants to spend Eid with his family. However, he added, that a man standing near the reservation office approached him with an offer to provide a ticket at Rs1,800 instead of at the official rate of Rs1,500.

"The person who arranged the ticket for me went to the same reservation office and bought the ticket," Dr Malik said, while sharing a video of his conversation with the reservation officer, who had refused to give him the ticket. He claimed that the man was a Pakistan Railways cop in civil dress. "You can see the middle-men roaming outside the reservation offices selling the tickets in black," he claimed, negating the Railways authorities' claims that everything is being done in a transparent manner.



Faisal Mehli, who was waiting at Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, said he planned to go to Rahim Yar Khan for Eid and has been visiting the reservation offices for the past three days but is not getting a seat on any of the trains. "A friend of mine who knows a railway guard has assured me that he will provide us with four tickets but it will cost more than the actual price," he said. "I am waiting and hopefully will get the ticket in black because we have no other option," he added.



On Friday, a large number of commuters were seen running from pillar to post at Cantt Station and a majority of them had same complains. "I have been waiting since the morning, yet there is no seat," said Muhammad Akhar, who wants to travel to Gujranwala.

However, the divisional commercial officer (DCO) of Railways told The Express Tribune that he personally monitors the reservation system and has not yet received any complaints. "There was a time when people used to run this business. We have now taken action and made the reservation transparent," he said.

"Please refer to me if [any such illegal selling of tickets is taking place] and we will take strict action against those involved in it," he claimed.



Other transportation facilities

Not only the railways but the intercity buses are also adding to the problems of commuters travelling from Karachi to interior Sindh. "Normally we pay Rs700 to Rs800 for a ticket to Larkana but now they are charging Rs1,000 to Rs1,200," a commuter said, who was waiting at a bus terminal in Saddar area. He added that it is difficult for people to purchase tickets even for buses and coaches.

According to transport department spokesperson, 13 different vigilance teams have been formed to monitor the transport fares and take action against those who violate the actual fixed rates. "Our department has issued a notification about the vigilance team members who are in the field now," the spokesperson said, adding that around 100 buses and coaches have been penalised with a fine of Rs0.1 million. "While taking action, the vigilance teams have returned Rs0.2 million to passengers," he claimed.