CGR
or SLR Director General, what are you doing about it? If anything!
Since Expo Rail has NOT been granted an
extension of license YET by the WORTHIES who decide! Why? The Bribe is not
enough is it? There are NO seats available on the Badulla Line, unless you are willing to buy them on the black-market which is thriving.
I am not pointing a finger at anyone in
particular, but it is SO OPEN to corruption as the demand exceeds the supply,
would it not surprise you that there is SOMETHING FISHY going on.
People want to go up on the upcountry
trains, both local and foreign, but there are NO seats that are available to be
booked in advance. It is obvious therefore that they have all been purchased,
by legitimate users and others acting on behalf of the tour operators, or third
parties, hawking tickets to the tour operators, or selling them to tourists on
the open market at a HUGE MARK-UP denying the legitimate user a chance of
enjoying the beauty of the train ride up-country.
WHO IS BEHIND THIS SCAM? SURELY NOT THE TICKET SELLERS OR IS IT THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT HIMSELF THROUGH SOME EDICT?
One regular user in the past whose
family lives up country, told me, did you not know it is impossible now for us
to go upcountry by train anymore, I can only take the bus, as there are NO
tickets available at any bookable class, even third class!
SO
WHAT IS THE RAILWAYS DOING ABOUT IT? ZILCH / NOTHING
They should either double the fare, so
they can double their income, or put another train or two each day on the same
line to go up country. Either is OK so that supply and demand can come into
balance. It is the public and the visitor to Sri Lanka after all who is
inconvenienced by this absurd state of affairs.
I know it will take time for the
Railways to put a new train on this line, as we need to have a spare train in
the first place, and the Minister of Transport does not even understand that
simplicity, if he is not already part of the problem, and will take some time for them to realize this need.
So in the
interim, unilaterally double the fare and see where the cookie crumbles. See
how the ticket sales situation is. Announce a temporary doubling of fares for
the months to January 31st and review the daily booking situation.
It is very simple to do.
In any case most of the users are now
being price gouged into paying double, so the user is paying the same. Now the
extra money will go to the Railways and not the profiteer and ticket counter
clerk who are sharing the booty, by him buying the tickets as soon as they are
released to be sold, on behalf of the touts, or at least informing the touts so
they get first right of refusal. Remember the TOUTS always profit from a SUPPLY
AND DEMAND MISMATCH in every instant!
Don't forget Expo Rail were able to sell the tickets at three times the price and fill the carriages, and now those customers have no where to go! So what is the stalemate with them? Let us have some transparency as to the negotiations please, so we can determine if there is some foul play on either side of this debate. They have carriages that need to be tethered to the normal trains and they are NOW LYING IDLE losing the Country Foreign Aid while the officials are DITHERING!
CHAIRMAN OF SLTDA INTERVENE AND RESOLVE THAT ISSUE NOW
Gentleman of the Media where are you?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are not gentleman but prostitutes of the media, only keen on selling your story to the highest bidder, not doing what is just and correct by the public who you have pledged to serve
The first step must be remove the free travel benefit for Government Servants in the Railways. If they all go on the train, no one else can travel, and who pays, we the public.
ReplyDeleteNo one seems to have the courage to make this simple step, to ensure that the Railways can increase their income.
Step two would be to double the charges, except season tickets for commuters.
The public cannot subsidize an inefficient transport system forever.
The time has come for a high quality train on the Badulla Line at a minimum ticket price in all categories of Rs2,500 anywhere, with proper facilities, a round the clock train running everyday.
ReplyDeleteThis train will be full, and will be another selling point for Sri Lanka in their tourist attractions, and will pay for the foreign exchange cost alone in a few years.
Simple 500 seats,(10 carriages of 50 seats each @ US16 a seat, both ways US$16,000 a day. Say will run 300 days of 360 day year, will give US$4,800,000 revenue per annum. After deducting operating costs, like staff and fuel etc. it will payback in 6 years. A no brainer
I have not calculated the bribe to the Minister of Transport in the above calculation and he is at the end of the line representing Badulla District, surely he can forego that as it will help the economy of Badulla too.
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