Despite several communiqué to State Transport Authority (STA) by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the issue of imposing penalty on ticketless travellers on Metro feeder buses has not been settled yet. Consequently passengers have been travelling without tickets, thus, causing huge loss to the Metro authority. DMRC has shot two letters to STA between January to May.
In their last letter which was sent in April, DMRC had urged the STA to impose the penalty as there has been an increase in the number of ticketless passengers. Sources said that significant part of the money was also pocketed by the conductors as they are in connivance, hence the Corporation also wants the conductors be fined.
Till now, in all DTC buses, the ticketless passengers have been imposed a penalty of Rs 200, but in the absence of any provision, number of ticketless passengers remain scot-free. The number is increasing over time. According to an estimate collected from the STA, nearly 15 passengers per day travel in Metro feeder buses. Right now, there are around 250 low-floor, non-air conditioned feeder buses plying at various routes under the DMRC.
Senior officials of the STA admitted they received the letter long ago and said that they are reviewing the decision. "During the meeting, the issue of imposing penalty for DMRC feeder buses arose, but the Government is yet to decide on how much penalty should be imposed and so the decision has not been finalised as yet," a senior official of STA said.
Commissioner of Transport Department Puneet K Goyel said, "We are going to implement an order soon, which has provision of Rs 200 penalty if one is found tarvelling without a ticket in feeder buses on Metro."