Title - Simplify ID rules for poor, rural travellers on train: HC

Coimbatore: The Madras high court on Tuesday directed the sta­nding counsel for railwa­ys to seek instructions to simplify the identity card sy­stem for poor and downtrodden from villages travelling in tra­ins.A division bench compr­ising Chief Justice M. Y. Eq­bal and Justice T. S. Siv­­agnanam posted after two weeks, further heari­ng of the PIL filed by Coi­m­batore Consumer Voice by its secretary N. Logu.The bench said admit­t­e­d­­ly a circular had been issued by the railways wherein the passengers were adv­ised to keep their identity cards while travelling in trains. This system was a ve­ry good measure to ch­eck the middlemen, who sell tickets to the ne­edy pa­ssengers. “We are only co­ncerned with the lo­wer and middle class pe­ople and persons of re­m­ote vill­a­ges as to the difficulty th­ey would face to get the id­e­ntity cards bef­ore undertaking the rail journey.On this asp­ect, we direct the stan­d­ing cou­­nsel for railways to seek instructions and find out some simple procedure so that the poor and downtrodden people may not be put to unnecessary difficulty and complications. We make it clear that we are not staying the circular issued by the railways,” the bench added.According to the petitioner, only passengers who had tickets booked under Tatkal system need to produce original ID pr­oof. While so, the ministry of railways has pa­ssed a new condition that pas­sengers must bring or­i­ginal proof of identity du­r­i­ng travel on reserved tic­kets issued through pa­ss­­e­n­ger reservation system.

for all reserved classes. Passengers failing to produce the original ID will be treated as ticket less passengers and charged accordingly. Xerox copies will not be accepted. The new condition is  unreasonable and it has brought great hardship and mental agony to the passengers to carry the original.

In case the original ID card  is misplaced or stolen, it was very difficult to get a new one or recover from the department concerned. Further many passengers may not have photo ID cards. Minors and people from socially and economically backwards who have to travel by train are prevented from travelling in trains.

Students studying in government schools are not issued photo ID cards. Several families do not have ration card or voter ID card. Therefore, imposing the condition is illegal and arbitrary, the petitioner added.