The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways has suggested rationalisation of both freight and passenger fares.
Q What has been Observation of Committee?
Committee’s Observation:
Social Service Obligations:
The losses incurred by the railways in passenger services purportedly due to the social service obligations which include pricing tickets at fares lower than costs and passenger concessions.
The railways incur losses to the tune of Rs. 35,000-38,000 crore a year in the passenger segment.
Effect of Covid:
Revenues from passenger services further deteriorated due to suspension of operations during Covid-19.
Operating Ratio:
Noted the regular deterioration in Railways Operating Ratio (OR).
OR indicates how much the Railways spend to earn a rupee. It helps determine the financial health of the Railways.
For example, an operating ratio of 98.36% for 2019-20, indicates that to earn Rs. 100, the Railways will have to spend Rs. 98.36.
For 2020-21, it is estimated to be 131.4%.
For 2021-22, Railways is targeting OR of 96.15%.
Q What are some of the challenges in functioning of Railways?
Indian Railways’ ills are as multifarious as they are well-known: bureaucratic, obese structure with a misconceived perception of public-service-obligation, warped investment priorities, capacity crunch on arterial routes, strained terminals, irrational fare & freight structures.
It has one of the highest rail freight charges in the world. This has also resulted in consumers moving to roadways for freight transportation, which is more convenient for them.
The predicament of the railways is that the profits earned from freight business are utilised to compensate for the losses incurred on passenger and other coaching services, thereby adversely affecting both freight and passenger business.
Q What are the Committee’s Suggestions?
Committee’s Suggestions:
Revisiting social service obligations and resuming services suspended during covid.
Adjust Passengers Fares:
Undertake “prudent adjustment” of passenger fares to reduce the burden on freight segments.
Make Fares Demand-cum-Market Driven:
Both passenger fares and freight rates have to be demand-cum-market driven and fixed differently for different segments.
Retain Customers:
As the demand for transport is elastic in a competitive market the Railways should be mindful of the fact that any increase in fares should be confined to a certain limit depending upon the competition from other transport modes.
The operational efficiencies of the railways in both freight and passenger business have to be leveraged to a greater extent so as to retain the customer base and enhance revenues.
Strengthen Planning and Management:
The railways should strengthen their planning, management and monetary mechanisms to earn substantial non-fare revenues through various methods/sources, already intended and put in place.
For example: Dividends from its public sector undertakings, land lease, parking, sale of scrap, advertisements and publicity etc.
Railway finances should be managed prudently so that the Operating Ratio (OR) may reach at acceptable level in the near future.
