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| Sunday, 21 August 2005 |
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Long distance travellers hit by increased rail fares by Gamini Warushamana Railway commuters and transport sector specialists said that the recent increase in rail passenger fares is unscientific and unfair. They said that the new rates are unfair for long distance travellers in that they cannot afford the present rail fare. Transport specialists said that the new fares system is contrary to the main concept of transport economics, because the new system discourages long distance travellers to use the railway and encourages short distance travellers to do so. The Railway is generally a popular transport mode for long distance travelling worldwide, they said. Economist Subashini Abeysinghe said that though an increase of 50% was expected in rail fare it was increased manifold between Colombo and the main cities. The Colombo-Galle fare was increased by 75%, Matara 71%, Badulla 69%, Anuradhapura 72%, Batticaloa 66%, Trincomalee 67% and Vavuniya by 69%. However the short distance rail fare had been increased less than 50% for example the Colombo-Maharagama fare was increased by 33%, Negombo 33%, Panadura 36% and Ragama 30%. If the authorities considered the number of passenger Km and charged a higher rate for short distance and a lower rate for long distance the system would have generated more revenue for the CGR as it would have also encouraged long distance travellers to use the railway. Railway Department sources said that all these issues arose due to the obdurate decisions of ministry officials. The price revision was made by the Ministry Secretary and officials without any consultations with the CGR. Ministry officials had not even forwarded a copy of the proposal to the General Manager (GM) of the CGR and the GM received the order to implement the new fare system, sources said. They said that this was the first instance where the rail fare revision was made without any consultation with the the CGR in its 150 years history. Subashini said that the season ticket fare too increased manifold and the Colombo Kandy season ticket fare was increased from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1200. Some employees travelling from Kandy now have to pay over one-third of their salary on season tickets. She asked whether ministry officials did not consider the socio-economic, environmental and road traffic repercussions of this decision. The goverment will eventually become unpopular due to this irresponsible act of high officials, she said. Under the reforms of the rail passenger fares four zones were introduced by replacing the previous two zones, sub urban and outer urban. Under the new system zone one includes 0-50 km and the new rates per km are Rs.1.89, 0.97 and 0.53 for the first, second and third class. Similarly zone 2 includes 50-100 km, zone 3, 100-200 km and zone 4, 200-300 km. According to the new system a passenger travelling in the third class compartment has to pay the following rates for 1 km, Rs. 0.53 in zone 1, Rs. 0.49 in zone 2, Rs. 0.48 in zone 3 and Rs. 0.46 in zone 4. The price revision did not meet the anticipated objectives. The letter sent by the Secretary, Ministry of Transport D.S. Jayaweera to the Treasury Secretary (TS) for approval of new system stated that the price revision made long distance travelling by train more economical than other modes of transport. Railway Department sources said that the new system has not achieved any of the anticipated objectives except a revenue increase. Jayaweera in his letter to the TS stated that the new system will reduce
the cost of ticket (paper and printing costs), reduce ticketing combination
from 90,000 to 6,000, easier in accounting and reduce the operating costs.
But today the Railway Department is issuing the same tickets, on the same
paper at the same costs and the same ticketing combination, she said. |
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