IRCTC slammed for allotting upper berths to senior citizens
PremiumIn response to the Twitter user's criticism, IRCTC gave him an explanation of what transpired.
A Twitter user has slammed the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for allotting upper berths to senior citizens of his family. He wondered “What kind of software is being used" to allot berths to senior citizens.
“What kind of software is being used by you for generating Ticket? An old woman of age 70 has been alloted side upper berth? Will you at a age of 70-80 be able to climb to the upper birth? As entered 2 ladies are there 1- My mother & 2-my granny (sic)," the user wrote.
“Both of them have been alloted upper berth! How will a old woman will climb and how another Arthritis pateint will climb? please answer me! moreover a old man of age 79 he has also been given upper birth (sic)," he wrote.
“Most important my whole family is travelling where 3 of them are in a coach(b5) and my old grand mother have been given another coach(b2) upper berth! is this your service towards public? (sic)," the user added.
The user, going by the handle @malayaranjanpat, demanded, “I need a replaced ticket with my conditions fulfilled (sic)."
In response to the Twitter user's criticism, IRCTC gave him an explanation of what transpired. “In the computerised reservation system of Indian Railways, there is a provision for allotting lower berth automatically to senior citizens and female passengers above the age of 45 years., even if no choice is given, it said.
However, it depends on there being lower berths available at the time of booking, Railway Seva tweeted the reply on behalf of IRCTC Official.
“In the trains also, ticket checking staff is authorised to allot lower berths falling vacant to such senior citizens who have been allotted middle/upper berth due to non-availability of lower berths at the time of booking," it further clarified.
One user wrote, “Stop these vacuous justifications, fine tune your algos."
IRCTC earlier cancelled a disputed tender for the hiring of a consultant to monetise its passenger and freight customer data due to privacy concerns, officials said on August 26. The ticketing and catering division of the railroads informed Shashi Tharoor, the leader of the Congress' Information Technology Committee, that it was cancelling the tender.
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