A SUGGESTION SENT TO RAILWAY MINISTRY FOR CONSIDERATION - FOR INFO OF INDIARAILINFO FRATERNITY
SUBJECT : QUOTA EXTENSION TO SINGLE CHILD TRAVELLING WITH SINGLE SENIOR CITIZEN/LADY
Respected Sir Shri Bansalji,
For reservation of tickets for train journey there are several categories of quota including Ladies quota, Yuva quota, etc.
However,...
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there is no quota for children, particularly when a single child (less than 12 year old) has to travel with a senior citizen/single lady(above 55). On the other hand, when a child’s booking is clubbed with those entitled to senior citizen/Ladies quota (traveling singly) even the latter fail to get quota benefit because he/she now is not (literally) traveling single. However, the child in such a case is not an escort to the elderly – but, rather it is the other way, the latter now have higher responsibility having to take care of the child.
Present rules under such a situation are not only discriminatory to the child, who cannot be and should not be expected to travel singly, but also insensitive to the senior citizen, just because he/she is now not traveling single, has to lose quota benefit.
Hence, I request the Railway Ministry to diligently apply mind to such situations and amend the rules so that the quota benefit is provided to both as a special case, when a single child is travelling with a senior citizen/lady.
Strangely, as a test case when I booked a single ticket online, for 8 year old child, a waitlisted ticket was granted, without any questions asked about his escort. Shouldn’t Railways be duly sensitive towards the CHILD'S' SAFETY AND SECURITY in such cases?