07 March,2014 07:40 AM IST | | Shashank Rao
The windfall came after Western Railway’s top boss, along with 158 ticket checkers, laid siege at Andheri railway station to curb ticketless travelling yesterday
Leading from the front, the Western Railway's (WR) divisional manager yesterday ditched the comfort of his office and stationed himself at the foot over bridge of Andheri railway station. The result: 1,685 ticketless commuters were caught and fined, earning the WR Rs 2.5 lakh on one day.
Shailendra Kumar, divisional railway manager (Mumbai), along with 158 rail officials, laid siege at Andheri railway station yesterday, looking for ticketless travellers
As part of a 48-hour ongoing drive to curb the menace of ticketless travelling, Shailendra Kumar, divisional railway manager (Mumbai), along with 158 ticket checkers (TC), laid siege at Andheri from 6 am to 8 pm.
Hands-on operation
When mid-day visited the station, it came as a pleasant surprise to see the top railway official asking commuters for valid tickets. At around 3.50 pm, Kumar approached a man carrying a bulky carton on his head.
Soon after he was stopped, the commuter was asked to lay down his goods and asked for a ticket for both. The man did not have one and was fined as per the law. Meanwhile, just a few feet away, an altercation ensued. A passenger began arguing with a TC, questioning the reason behind such random checks.
Until 2 pm, the WR authorities had collected fines amounting to over Rs 2.5 lakh, and by 8 pm earned Rs 3.83 lakh. Following the success of the drive, similar intensive checks will be held at Borivli and Dadar stations soon, authorities said.
