Probe on $17 m railway ticketing project
The US$17 million Railway Ticketing Project implemented by the previous government is being probed, after initial reports of misleading the Cabinet, audit committees, and the Technical Evaluation Committees (TEC), along with the Ministry of Transport and the Government, top officials said.
The government, after noticing astronomical amounts charged for certain simple projects, has requested details from the project committee, which the then government had appointed through the railway. An official said they identified that $960,000 or Rs. 296 million was given for only website development while a further $1.7 million was awarded for only the concept.
He further said that the Ministry of Transport is revamping an existing online train seat reservation system, intending to improve efficiency and passenger convenience. Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake engages in this project directly, along with the Digital Ministry and other agencies. He said curbing online ticket fraud and enhancing the overall changes are a big challenge. The added charges will allow passengers to book tickets online or at stations with M-Ticketing facilities and are expected to boost tourism and the national economy.
Sri Lanka Railways has also implemented a mandatory identification verification system for all reserved train ticket bookings to combat black market resales and inflated prices. This policy, effective from July 15 and fully enforced from August 1 requires Sri Lankan passengers to provide their National Identity Card (NIC) number, while foreign nationals must present their passport number when booking tickets online or at railway counters. The officials said that passengers are also required to show the original documents during boarding and ticket checks. To accommodate tourists who may have purchased tickets through agents before the full enforcement date, interim measures are in place until September 1. “If the original purchase cannot be verified, but the same seats are available, tourists will be allowed to repurchase those tickets. However locals without the required ID will not be permitted to travel,” the official explained.
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