Mumbai: Stop free train tickets to MPs, MLAs, demand passenger associations

The Centre stopped ticket concession to senior citizens in March 2020

As railway minister reiterates that ticket concessions for senior citizens won't be restored, Mumbai passenger associations, experts ask if railways will withdraw the concessions for lawmakers and politicians, too?

"Passenger fares in most of the classes are very low. The Indian Railways's passenger segment has suffered a recurring loss due to low fare and concessions to different categories of passengers. It is not desirable to restore concessions on railway tickets given to senior citizens and sportspersons, as the cost weighs heavily on the Railways," Minister of Railways Ashiwini Vaishnaw said in a reply to Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

mid-day highlighted the issue as early as March, 2022, stating that the railways may not restore senior citizen concessions. Revenue foregone due to concessions in passenger fare to senior citizens during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, for both reserved and unreserved, was Rs 1,491 crore, Rs 1,636 crore and Rs 1,667 crore, respectively.

Also read: Mumbai: Central Railway gets its sixth AC local train

"The figures mean that about Rs 1,500 crore on an average was spent on senior citizen concessions. In comparison, the government gave tax relief of about R4.5 lakh crore to the corporate sector under various schemes for the same period. So one can conclude how much the government respects the senior citizens of the country," asked Jitendra Gupta of the Citizen Transport Committee.

End subsidies for MPs, MLAs

"Why can't the government think of curtailing subsidies, peaks, pension and free travel enjoyed by elected representatives and their spouses? Even if an elected representative needs to travel for his official work, what's the need of a spouse to travel with him/her? How many white-collar executives enjoy such a facility even in the best corporate in the country? Why does the government fail to walk the talk and set an example for all future generations? Do they seriously wish to get elected in the next election and secure their vote bank by setting such examples?" asked Gupta.

"For over two years, the Railways has not given due respect to senior citizens, which is very unfair. Crores of rupees are being wasted on unnecessary work and it is not correct to say that spending money on this concession is undesirable. Why this step-motherly treatment? It should be restored as soon as possible," said Mansoor Umer Darvesh, 62, from Jogeshwari said. Darvesh, a senior citizen passenger committee's member, has been a Mumbai local passenger activist for over 25 years.

"The Railways can restrict concessions to the escorts of senior citizens who accompany them in trains, but the privilege of senior citizens and their rich life experience deserves concession for travel. I am sure it would not be much of a burden to weaken the finances of railways," said Shailesh Goyal, the former member of National Railway Users' Consultative Council. "If they are not restoring concessions to senior citizens, then they should think of withdrawal of free tickets to members of parliament and Legislative Assembly, too, and cut down on free travel passes to its staff," commuter association member Ketan Shah said.

Before March 2020, in the case of senior citizens, 50 per cent discount was given to women passengers and 40 per cent to men in all classes. The minimum age limit for availing this relaxation was 58 years for women and 60 years for men.

Barring a handful of restrictions implemented during Covid-19, Railways has majorly rolled back all the others. The concession to all categories of passengers, except to 4 categories of Divyangjan [people with disabilities] and 11 categories of patients and students, had been withdrawn on March 20, 2020, to discourage people from travelling amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

Rs 1,500 cr
Yearly revenue forgone by rlys on concessions till '20