The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Booking stolen vehicles by train not easy anymore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Booking stolen vehicles by train not easy anymore

By S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI, OCT.5. Booking stolen two-wheelers by train to other destinations through parcel service is not easy anymore, thanks to the revised guidelines imposed by the Railway Board that have come into effect since early September.

Parcel department officials now insist on producing registration certificate for booking a two-wheeler, besides seeking proof of address and personal identification marks of the consignor. A photocopy of the RC has to be submitted along with the prescribed application.

As many consignors are unable to produce the required documents for booking the vehicle, they are being turned away. Though this will only aggravate the dwindling revenue generated through the parcel service, the officials say the revised guidelines will go a long way in curbing the menace of transporting stolen two-wheelers.

Booking of two-wheelers at the Madurai railway station alone has come down by at least 40 per cent. While the number of vehicles booked between August 10 and September 9 was 436, it came down to 276 between September 10 and 30.

"Earlier, two-wheelers were booked from anywhere to anywhere without any stress on documentary evidence either to prove the ownership claim or address mentioned in the application. Some habitual offenders took advantage of this facility to exchange stolen vehicles with their counterparts in other districts/states," says a booking clerk.

Now, the officials are ensuring that the chassis and engine numbers of booked vehicles are mentioned in the waybill. The telephone numbers of the consignor and consignee are also taken down.

"We have also streamlined the packing methodology. Since there are frequent complaints of minor damages at the destination point, proper packing using gunny bags stuffed with hay/grass is being advised. A tinplate containing the relevant addresses is attached to every booked vehicle."

The Madurai Division of the Southern Railway, in its order vide U/C 145/Claims Circular dated 09.09.2004, has directed that the new regulations be enforced.

Revenue remains low

Even after the recent hike in the parcel tariff, the revenue earned through the parcel service is not encouraging.

Officials say that though the volume of parcels has increased by several fold, the service is no more a profit-making venture.

"The decline in parcel revenue began with the deep cut in the parcel tariff (nearly 60 per cent) a couple of years ago. Though a major chunk of the road transport parcels have migrated to the railways, the cost of operations remains above the service charges," says another official in the commercial department.

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