From the Readers

Train passengers' woes

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-25 08:05

Comment on "Policy coming for riders of high-speed trains" (China Daily, May 23)

According to the report, passengers for high-speed trains (C, D and G categories) have to produce their identification cards to book tickets for journeys from June 1.

But this policy will only create trouble for passengers. It will be an unnecessary waste of time for passengers buying tickets and/or boarding trains.

Related readings:  CRH train to adopt ID-based ticket system  Luxury train to Lhasa costs $10,000 a ticket  China to realize online train ticket booking this year  Police get tough on train ticket scalpers

People booking tickets for their family members and/or friends will face greater problems because they have to collect ID cards from all of them in advance, which is neither an advisable nor a convenient thing to do.

Also, a person who leaves his ID card at home cannot book a ticket for or travel on a high-speed train.

Since a would-be passenger's ID card number would be printed on the ticket, he/she cannot sell it in case he/she decides to cancel or postpone his/her journey.

Authorities say the move is aimed at stopping scalping. But the move will stop even ordinary passengers from transferring their tickets in case of any change in their travel plans.

Ordinary passengers don't make money by selling, rather reselling, tickets to others, do they? But after June 1, an ordinary passenger cannot do so even if he/she decides to change his/her traveling plan. Instead, he /she would have to pay 20 percent of the ticket's cost just to get a refund.

Moreover, tickets for ordinary trains, not high-speed ones, are sold by scalpers. So if the authorities really want to stop scalping, they should ask passengers booking tickets for ordinary trains to present their ID cards to the booking clerks.

Ruby, via e-mail

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(China Daily 05/25/2011 page9)