Lok Sabha Question No. 146 (STARRED), answered on 2017-07-26
Subject: Touts and Illegal Vendors
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 146

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2017

## TOUTS AND ILLEGAL VENDORS

- *146.     DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN : SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK : Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
- (a) whether  the  Railways  has  launched  a  15  week  drive  to  crack down  on  touts, unauthorized ticketing agencies and illegal vendors at railway stations recently and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  number  of  touts,  unauthorized  vendors  and  illegal  ticketing agencies that have been prosecuted during the drive;
- (c) the amount  recovered  as  traffic charges  following surprise checks by Vigilance teams;
- (d) whether  the  Railways  plans  to  create  awareness  programmes among citizens not to patronize unauthorized vendors at railway premises or purchase tickets from touts; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the other steps taken by the Government  to  check  the  activities  of  touts  and  vendors  in railway stations?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS (SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

- (a)  to (e):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House .

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  146    BY  DR.  J.  JAYAVARDHAN  AND  SHRI DHANANJAY  MAHADIK  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 26.07.2017 REGARDING TOUTS AND ILLEGAL VENDORS

(a): A special drive was launched by all Zonal Railways during summer period  from  01.04.2017  to  30.06.2017  to  conduct  checks  in  mass contact areas. The drive was aimed at curbing malpractices of touting activities,  ticketless  passengers,  misuse  of  facilities  of    e-ticketing etc.

(b):  During  the  drive  307  touts,  59115  unauthorised  vendors  and  07 illegal ticketing agencies have been prosecuted.

(c):  An  amount of 1.18 crores (approximately) was recovered during the special drive.

(d): Yes, Madam.

(e): Some of the steps taken to make public aware of streamlining of reservation system and making it more transparent, are as under:

- i. Educating  general  public  through  Public  Address  System  and media,  not  to  buy  ticket  from  touts/unscrupulous  elements  and consequences of buying ticket from these sources.
- ii. Restriction  on  agents  on  booking  of  tickets  during  first  thirty minutes of opening of Advance Reservation Period (ARP) booking and Tatkal booking.
- iii.    Imparting  information  relating  to  availability  of  current  status  of reservation.
- iv. Condition of carrying of original proof of identity during journey by any one of the passenger booked on the ticket, so as to check transfer of ticket.
- v. Automatic  preparation  of  reservation  charts  at  least  4  hours before  scheduled  departure  of  train  and  thereafter  booking  of available  accommodation  through  internet  as  well  as  through computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters.
- vi.   Making provision in the PRS system to transfer vacant available accommodation after preparation of second reservation chart to next charting station.
- vii. Introduction  of  Alternate  Train  Accommodation  Scheme  (ATAS) known as VIKALP for providing confirmed accommodation to the willing  waitlisted  passengers  in  other  Trains  of  same  route thereby ensuring optimal utilization of available accommodation.
- viii. Modification  of  Railway  Passengers  (Cancellation  of  Ticket  and Refund  of  Fare)  Rules  to  discourage  speculative  booking  of tickets. No refund is granted to confirmed passengers after chart preparation.
9. ix.
10. Provision of CCTVs at important PRS locations.
- x. Only  one  booking  in  one  user  login  session  except  for  return/ onward journey between 0800 and 1200 hours.
- xi. Provision of CAPTCHA in the booking page of e-ticket/i-ticket on the IRCTC website to check use of scripting tools by unscrupulous elements for cornering of tickets.
13. Introduction  of  a  time  check  of  35  seconds  for  completion  of online booking of tickets to avoid misuse through use of scripting
- xii. software.
- xiii. Making  One  Time  Password  (OTP)  mandatory  for  payment  of tickets booked online.
- xiv. Conducting joint as well as independent checks by Commercial, Vigilance & Security Departments to curb the activities of touts, to curb the malpractices by Railway staff indulging in connivance with touts. Stringent action taken against the railway staff under Disciplinary and Appeal Rules, if found including in malpractices.
- xv. Intensification  of  checks  during  peak  rush  and  festival  periods. Touts and unauthorized vendors are apprehended and prosecuted as per provision of section 143 & 144 of the Railways Act, 1989. Illegal  users  of  online  e-ticketing  are  also  prosecuted  under provision of section 143 of  Railways Act, 1989.
- xvi. Simultaneous  checks  conducted  at  Reservation  Offices  and  on the trains to detect the cases of transferred reserved tickets i.e. persons  found  travelling  fraudulently  against  accommodation actually reserved in the name of another passenger.
- xvii. Conducting checks in booking offices, reservation offices, trains etc.    to  curb  malpractices  by  Railway  staff  in  connivance  with touts. Deployment of RPF staff at important Passenger Reservation System (PRS) Centres to prevent touting activities.
- xviii. Surveillance  is  kept  on  the  possible  activities  of  touts  and unauthorised vendors through Close Circuit Television Cameras installed at important Railway Stations.

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