Respect to families in trains to be ensured: minister

LAHORE, May 05 (APP):Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique ordered the railways administration to ensure
respect to families in trains and a separate quota should be reserved for them.
Presiding over a meeting on modernization in the railways through information technology and provision of facilities to passengers held at the railways headquarters here on Saturday, he said the families quota should also be defined in online reservation.
He also directed the administration to create awareness among public regarding special quota for women who were traveling alone so that the train journey could be made more secure and comfortable for them.
“Curtains are also being installed in trains to ensure respect to families,” he added.
The minister directed that refund after departure of train to passengers should be ensured through one window operation.
He said the process of connecting the issuing or change of tickets in trains during travel with central
computerized network of the railways through hand-held devices had been completed and it was being started in Karakuram Express train as a pilot project.
The minister said modern means like e-ticketing was a great achievement of the current administration, adding the railways had set a record by selling online tickets of Rs 10 million.
“Issuing of duplicate tickets the first time in the history of the Pakistan railways is also result in
computerized network and the railways has so far sold duplicate tickets worth more than Rs 7 million,” he said.
Saad said that check and balance system as well as an audit of online ticket system would be made more strict and effective.
He said that issuing of tickets in trains through hand-held devices would be helpful to overcome corruption besides providing facility to passengers.
The minister said an automotive system of refund on cancellation of online tickets had also been ensured to facilitate passengers.
PR CEO Abdul Hameed Razi, Advisor Anjum Pervaiz and other senior officers attended the meeting.