In a disconcerting trend, railway authorities have witnessed a significant upswing in ticketless travel, with more than 5.01 lakh individuals apprehended in November 2023 alone. This surge has led to an imposing penalty of 36.98 Crores being levied on these offenders, marking a distressing escalation in the prevalence of ticketless journeys. From April to November 2023, a staggering 32.34 lakh passengers were caught traveling without tickets, resulting in penalties totaling 213.16 Crores.
The rising incidence of ticketless travel is a matter of grave concern for railway authorities, who emphasize the importance of valid tickets for maintaining the integrity of the travel system. Authorities strongly advocate the use of the UTS mobile app, providing a convenient solution to bypass ticket queues and save valuable time for both passengers and staff.
