A total of 297 passengers were found travelling without tickets on state-run roadways buses in the Ghaziabad region during May, according to the Transport Corporation. Around Rs 39,000 was recovered as penalties from the passengers, while action was also taken against the conductors concerned.
The campaign against ticketless travel in roadways buses has been continuing across the Ghaziabad region. During special inspections conducted in May, transport teams detected 297 passengers travelling without valid tickets on various routes and initiated action against those found violating the rules.
The Ghaziabad region includes depots at Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, Sahibabad, Loni, Hapur, Sikandrabad and Bulandshahr, among others. Approximately 900 buses operate daily from these depots, where ticket inspection drives are carried out on a regular basis.
The Transport Corporation has also taken action against conductors found negligent in ticket issuance. A penalty of Rs 500 per passenger is imposed on the concerned conductor when a ticketless passenger is detected. Officials said the measure is aimed at increasing transparency in the ticket distribution process and preventing revenue loss.
According to the Regional Manager, passengers found travelling without tickets are required to pay the prescribed fare along with a penalty of Rs 500 or ten times the total fare, whichever amount is lower. The applicable amount is collected on the spot.
Inspection reports showed that most cases of ticketless travel were detected during night operations. Around 70 per cent of the total cases involved passengers travelling without tickets on night buses.
Officials said some passengers believe inspections are less frequent at night and therefore attempt to avoid purchasing tickets. The Transport Corporation, however, stated that inspections will continue regularly during both daytime and nighttime operations, and action will be taken against those violating the rules.
The roadways administration said it is strengthening ticket inspection drives to reduce revenue losses. Officials advised passengers to travel only with valid tickets, stating that compliance with ticketing rules also provides legal protection to passengers in the event of any travel-related issues.
The Transport Corporation said regular inspections and strict enforcement are expected to reduce the number of ticketless passengers and improve the efficiency of bus operations.
