The menace of touts selling tickets continue at Kurla LTT even as RPF continue to monitor errant auto and taxi drivers operating at this rail terminus.
The activity is carried right in front of the ticket booking counters where there are posters stuck saying, 'Beware of Touts'. Surprisingly, the Passenger Service Committee, that visited Kurla LTT earlier this week, did not find anything wrong at Kurla LTT.
On Saturday, when DNA went to Kurla LTT to check the situation, it found that touts are openly roaming and selling tickets. A tout informed that a sleeper coach ticket in a Kurla LTT-Mangalore Netravati Express will cost Rs 1100 while a 3AC will cost Rs 2300. The touts also added that since it it was vacation time and they would buy tickets on tatkal and hand it over immediately. The original fare of the sleeper coach ticket is Rs 425 and Rs 1160 for 3 tier AC in the same train.
Meanwhile other passengers hoping to get a confirmed ticket also flocked around these touts. The CR officials agreed that there were issues of unwanted elements at Kurla LTT which they are trying to address.
Recently when DNA asked Ramesh Chandra Ratn, the chairman of Railway Ministry Passenger Service Committee and other members about Kurla LTT; they said that they were satisfied with the situation there. They had inspected Kurla LTT and Dadar stations and gave 7 marks out of 10. When asked about errant taxi and auto drivers; Ratn said, "I was not informed about this problem."
A tout informed that a sleeper coach ticket in a Kurla LTT-Mangalore Netravati Express will cost Rs 1100 while a 3AC will cost Rs 2300. The touts also added that since it it was vacation time and they would buy tickets on tatkal and hand it over immediately. The original fare of the sleeper coach ticket is Rs 425 and Rs 1160 for 3 tier AC in the same train.