Date:30/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/30/stories/2008063061710300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Harrowing experience for people at railway station

S. Vasudev Murthy

Platform ticket vending machines have become defunct

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

CROWDED: A queue in front of a ticket counter at the Bangalore City Railway Station on Sunday.

BANGALORE: People who had come to the Okalipuram entrance of the Bangalore City Railway Station on Sunday to receive or see off their friends and relatives had a harrowing experience as many of them were unable to enter the station as platform ticket vending machines were non-functional.

The absence of a counter to sell platform tickets and the non-functioning of the facility providing platform tickets through SMS added to the woes of the public even as there were serpentine queues at the three counters issuing unreserved travelling tickets.

“Many trains arrive and leave from platform Nos. 5 to 9 during the afternoon. There will be at least 80 persons standing in every queue and it is chaos on all days. We have a tough time convincing people to come in a queue, especially those who come for platform tickets,” said a policeman, who was regulating the crowd at the counters.

Sandeep, who was looking into his mobile phone, said: “I sent two SMSs to 53939 over half-an-hour ago, and I am yet to get the confirmation code to get my platform ticket.” A woman, who did not want to be identified, said: “I sent an SMS twice for a platform ticket and am yet to get a reply. My mobile service provider will charge me for that. I have wasted my money and am yet to get a confirmation.”

An alternative to get a platform ticket was through a weight checking-cum-BMI machine that also doubles up as a platform ticket vending machine. However, this was also non-functional for some time. Soon after it was repaired, several people rushed to it and formed a long queue to get the platform ticket that would cost Rs. 5.

“Why should I pay Rs. 5 for a platform ticket which otherwise costs only Rs. 3? It is more than one-and-a-half times the regular price. The authorities should have opened counters for platform ticket on this side of the station similar to the one at the main entrance,” said Gopal Rao. “If I enter the platform without a ticket and get caught, I have to pay a fine for no fault of mine. What do I do?” he asked.

“For three platform tickets I have to pay Rs. 15 which normally would have fetched me five tickets. Moreover, this machine accepts only old Rs. 5 coins and not of any other denomination. Where will I get them from?” asked Sunder Raj, who said he had come to see off his relatives travelling by the Ahmedabad Express. People holding small change and currency notes were seen asking others for Rs. 5 coins. While some of them, such as Ashraf, preferred to wait at the exit for their friends to come out, only those who could get Rs. 5 coins could manage to get a platform ticket.