Hike in rail fares resented

Chandigarh Newsline spoke to a cross-section of residents to find their reaction to the railway budget. By and large the fare hike drew opposition, especially by the middle and lower class. A section of the upper class, however, does not seem to be much affected. The status quo on the freight charges, meanwhile, has received widespread approval.

quot;As usual, only the upper class travellers have been targeted. A large number of people need to travel frequently because of business or family matters and it will put extra burden on them, specially those travelling longer distances,quot; said S.L. Gupta, a government employee.

quot;The fare increase, if any, should be proportional for all classes. Facilities and travelling conditions provided in upper class coaches or trains are actually necessary and the government should strive to provide them in all trains rather than making them out of reach of the common man,quot; said Sanjeev Garg, a City based engineer.

quot;Even if we travel only during vacations, the expense will be considerable. And it is always wiser to travel in upper class coaches with children in the kind of weather we have in this country. The hike, if required, could have been reasonable,quot; adds Sanjana Thakur, a doctor8217;s wife.

The service being provided by the railways has also been questioned. quot;What is the justification of increasing fares every year if the service is pathetic. Delays are common, while the food served in trains or on platforms is not up to the mark. Nor are the coaches kept clean,quot; stated Raghav Kumar, a college student.

On the contrary, a section of residents do not seem to mind the rocketing fares. quot;Shatabdi is very convenient for business people. One can comfortably return the same day and thereby save by not spending on an overnight stay. Nor is an extra day lost due to travel or fatigue. I don8217;t think the increase should be objected to by the business class,quot; said K.S. Duggal, a local businessman.

quot;Prices in general are going up and the hike in rail fare, though unappreciated, was sort of expected. If a person has to travel only once in a while, I guess it will not make much of a difference. Especially with salaries also going up and the trend of double income catching on,quot; remarked Sujata, who works as an accounts officer in a private firm.

Railway officials, on the other hand, maintain that the hike in upper class fares, which was necessary due to increasing operational costs, will not have any effect on passenger traffic.

quot;More then half the passengers on the Chandigarh-Delhi route are businessmen and government officials. While the businessmen and the upwardly mobile people can take the fare increase in their stride, government officials mostly travel due to official work and hence do not have to bear the burden of fares,quot; a railway official commented.

The decision of the Ministry not to hike freight charges, on the other hand, has been unanimously welcomed. quot;Had the freight charges been increased, the prices of all commodities would certainly have gone up, thereby further burdening the common man,quot; commented Som Lal, a Sector 17 shopkeeper.