Travel/web agents barred from booking on-line from 8-9 a.m.

New Delhi, Jul 14 (ANI): To remove the difficulties faced by common users in accessing the IRCTC website for booking Tatkal and ordinary tickets over internet in the first hour of the booking on the opening day, the Ministry of Railways has decided to bar travel agents, web-service agents/web agents of IRCTC from accessing the website during that period.

Under this decision, which is expected to provide increased accessibility of the IRCTC website to the ordinary users, following instructions have come into operation:

a) Travel agents/web-services agents/web agents of IRCTC will not be given access to Tatkal booking, through e-ticketing on all days between 8 A.M. to 9 A.M.

b) Travel agents/web-services agents/web agents of IRCTC will not be given access, through e-ticketing, to trains defined in the system on their respective opening day of Advance Reservation Period (ARP), between 8 A.M. to 9 A.M.

This passenger friendly measure comes in the wake of a large number of complaints regarding IRCTC website not becoming accessible to common users at the time of the commencement of the Railway reservation booking in the morning, making it difficult to book e-ticket and Tatkal on-line.

In addition, a drive has also been launched for a period of one fortnight at all major reservation offices to conduct special checks between 7.30 A.M. to 9 A.M. to prevent touts/unscrupulous elements from cornering the seats/berths in the first hour of the opening day of the advance reservation period.

The above measures have been taken to take care of the interests of the ordinary passengers in respect of ticket booking both on-line as well as at the counters and to make sure that berths/seats are not cornered by the touts/unscrupulous elements. (ANI)