Train commuters appeal for concessions

by Gamini Warushamana

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Commuters are up in arms against increased transport costs and are calling for an immediate reduction in rail fare. Commuters’ organisations protested against the massive fare increase by the CGR at the Fort railway station last week.

The recent fare increase by the CGR is a serious blow to commuters, specially government and private sector workers who travel to Colombo daily. They said that fares have increased by 60-300%.

Over a considerable period of time railway commuters enjoyed a massive subsidy on their tickets, specially those travelling on season tickets. Commuters’ organisations said that season ticket fares have increased by 300%.

“Provision of transport facilities for government servants at a concessionary rate commenced during the British colonial rule. Since then the working class in this country enjoyed this facility.

Since the last salary increase of government servants, the transport cost alone increased by Rs.8,000 and people cannot bear the burden any more, a spokesman for the commuters’ organisation told the Sunday Observer.

Though the CGR was running at a loss of billions of rupees annually and depends on the Treasury subsidy the railway or the authorities were reluctant to pass on the cost to the commuters.

However on June 1 the CGR increased its fare by 80% in keeping with private buses and the CTB to face the sky rocketing fuel price.

The CGR last revised its fares in July 2005. Though bus fares were increased several times following the oil price increase the rail fare remained stagnant. A transport ministry official said the government had no option and this is not the government’s wish. We have to face the crude oil price increase”. Today the CGR is running at a massive loss.

This fare increase will not even cover a fraction of that cost. The public, private sector and CGR employees still receive 85%,60% and 90% discounts on their season tickets”, he said.

GM, CGR Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan was not available for comment. However, commuters and trade unions said that the CGR should not act as a private company and only look at the financial profit of the CGR. The railway is a service similar to education and health. Nobody seeks profits from public schools and hospitals.

Though the individual institution does not make profits the whole country gets the profit from the service provided by these institutions. Hence, the railway too should be an institution that provides a transport service to the country and the cost should be borne by the government, they said.

Chairman of the CGR Common Service Union, Sumathipala Manawadu said that the CGR is running at a loss not because of the lower fare charged from the commuters.

The rampant corruption, waste and mismanagement in the CGR is the main reason for the losses. The CGR is not exploiting highly profitable goods transportation. Railway resources have been given to political henchmen and the CGR is losing revenue.

At present around 25% of the passengers travel without tickets and the management of the system has collapsed. The authorities should take measures to correct them and not pass on the burden to the people, Manawadu said.