LAHORE: For the first time, commuters opting to travel by trains will now be able to get a duplicate ticket.

The duplicate ticket generation system was formally inaugurated jointly by Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique and Pakistan Railways Chief Executive Officer Javed Anwar at a ceremony at the PR headquarters on Monday.

Under the new system, a commuter will now receive a detailed text message on cell phone, mentioning seat and coach number of the relevant train and its departure time on purchasing a ticket.

In case of loss of ticket, the commuter would send his or her CNIC number to PR helpline 9117 and get an SMS that would be considered a duplicate ticket. The commuter would approach the conductor guard of the train concerned with the SMS, received from PR helpline 9117. The conductor guard after verifying that the seat was reserved against the same CNIC and that no amount was refunded against it, would allow the passenger to carry on journey on payment of 10 per cent of the ticket cost.

Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique said he had received numerous complaints regarding non-issuance of tickets and the complicated refund mechanism in case of loss of ticket.

According to PR rules mentioned on the back side of a ticket, like a currency note a train ticket could not be issued in duplicate in case of loss.

A youth hailing from Multan highlighted the issue through a video uploaded on social media. The minister not only took immediate notice of the problem but also constituted an internal committee of senior officers to suggest ways and means to redress the problem. The new system was launched on the recommendations of the committee members.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2017