Committee recommends discounted fare in trains with low occupancy: Gohain

The government on Wednesday said that the eight-member committee formed to review the 'flexi fare' scheme in the railways has recommended offering discounted fares in trains with low occupancy.

"The committee has submitted its report on January 16, 2018. Important recommendations are to rationalise the 'flexi fare' scheme based on the occupancy of the train," Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

He said that the committee also recommended to "offer discounted fare in trains having low occupancy".

"The report along with recommendations have been put up for consideration of the Railways Board," the Minister said.

The eight-member committee comprising Railway Board officials along with Ravinder Goyal, Adviser Niti Ayog, Meenakshi Malik, Executive Director, Revenue Management, Air India, S Sriram, Professor of transport economics and Iti Mani, Director, Revenue, Le Meridien, Delhi on December 11, 2017.

Railways introduced 'flexi fare' for premier trains -- Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi -- on September 9, 2016. Under this scheme, the base fare increases by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold, subject to a prescribed limit. There was no change in the existing fare for 1AC and EC class of travel.

But on December 19, 2016, Railways started to provide 10 per cent rebate on any seat left vacant after the preparation of the chart.

Gohain said that the committee was formed to examine the impact of implementation of 'flexi fare' in its current form with respect to revenue generated for the railways, impact on passenger in terms of their choice of railways as a means of transport and competitiveness of flexi fare viz-a-viz other means of transport.

--IANS

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