Guard’s Certificate Of Permission To Travel:

Guard’s certificate of permission to travel: The ‘Certificate of permission to travel’ is issued in the following cases by Guards/Conductors and other categories of staff on duty as notified by the railways, to passengers who apply for such permission before incurring the charge, on the condition that the passenger will subsequently pay the fare and any excess charge due:

  • when a passenger owing to want of time is unable to purchase a ticket; Guard’s Certificates will be issued in such cases at stations where platform tickets are issued, only on production of valid platform tickets.
  • when a passenger wishes to continue his journey beyond his booked destination.
  • when a ticket holder wishes to travel in a higher class of carriage.
  • when a ticket holder wishes to travel from an ordinary to a mail or express train or a restricted train either at the starting station or en route.
  • When a passenger is compelled to change in a lower class of carriage or in a train other than mail or express, for want of room in the class or in the mail or express train, for which he holds a ticket.
  • when military personnel is unable to get their warrants exchanged for tickets at the starting station and inform the Guard/Conductor before undertaking the journey.

when military personnel holding military concession certificates I.A.F.T. 1720-A, 1728 and 1736, are unable to get their certificates exchanged for tickets at the booking office for want of time and inform the Guard/Conductor before undertaking the journey.

Note: Guard’s certificates must not be issued to passengers traveling on unexchanged military concession certificates except those referred to above, concession orders, privilege ticket orders, etc.Travelling Ticket Examiners are not authorized to issue these certificates.

Procedure to be followed in issuing certificates: A specimen of the form of ‘Certificate of permission to travel’ appears in the I.R.C.A. Coaching Tariff. These certificates are serially numbered and printed in three foils, viz. ‘Passenger’. ‘Accounts’ and ‘Record’. These are prepared by carbon process and should normally be issued up to the destination stations of the passengers. However, in cases where passengers are compelled to travel in a lower class and hold tickets for destinations which involve change at a junction station, the certificates should be issued up to the first train changing junction, or if desired by the passengers, up to an intermediate station prior to such junction where accommodation in the class for which tickets are held is expected to become available. In such cases, the Guard/Conductor issuing the certificate will endorse on the ticket as under below:

“Available in ……………………class from…………   to…………Certificate No……………………issued.

………………………………………..(Signature)

………………………………………..(Date)

………;……………………………….(Guard/Conductor)

………………………………………..(H.Q.) ”

However, if the room becomes available later, and the passenger desires to travel in the higher class, he should be permitted to do so. In such cases, Guard/ Conductor should give fresh endorsement and signature in ink on the certificate already issued.

Collection of charges by Guards/Conductors: The staff authorized to issue certificates are not permitted to accept excess fare or excess charge due from passengers. The realization of these charges is strictly limited to the staff authorized to issue excess fare tickets. The Conductors may, however, realize reservation/surcharge from the passengers for which they may be issued coupons of fixed denominations by the Railways. All the precautions and procedural formalities to be followed for the safe custody, issue, and use of EFTs would be applicable to these coupon books also.

Responsibility to recover charges due from passenger issued with the certificate of permission to travel:

It will be the duty of the staff issuing certificates to ensure that the recovery of the railway dues is made from the passenger who should be made over to the Station Master or the Travelling Ticket Examiner at the starting station or at the first stopping station where there is time for the recovery of the charges.

The passenger will then be issued an excess fare ticket (Com./T 12 Rev. or Com./T. 13 Rev.) on the collection of the charges due. The machine number of the excess fare ticket will be recorded on all the foils of the certificate of permission to travel. Travelling Ticket Examiners on joining a train must consult the Guard/ Conductor to ascertain if any passengers have been issued the certificates so that the railway charges due from them may be recovered.

Submission of certificate of permission to travel to the Traffic Accounts Office:These certificates (‘Passenger’ foils) should be submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office along with the excess fare return of the relevant period and a note should be made at the bottom of the excess fare return of the total number of certificates attached. Certificates issued to passengers compelled to travel in a lower class for want of room in a higher class vide paragraph 326 (v) will be left with them for claiming the refund from the Chief Commercial Superintendent/Station Master.

Certificates to be issued from printed certificate books: Guards/ Conductors are strictly enjoined to provide themselves with printed certificate books. Under no circumstances, manuscript certificates should be issued to passengers as this practice is highly objectionable and affords opportunities to commit frauds.

Statement of Guard certificate books issued: Stations should send to the Traffic Accounts Office a monthly statement in manuscript showing the particulars of Guard certificate books issued to Guards, Conductors or other staff who have been specifically authorized to issue such certificates. The number of books received from the store’s department during the month and the number of books remaining on hand at the end of the month should also be shown in this statement.

Statement of Guard certificates issued: Each Guard, Conductor, and other staff who are permitted to issue Guard certificates will prepare and submit to the Traffic Accounts Office a monthly statement of the Guard certificates issued in the Performa appearing at Appendix VII/H. ‘Accounts’ foils of the certificates will be stitched to the statement and their total number shown on the last page of the statement.