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Named railway tickets again planned

13.11.2012   
The Ministry of Infrastructure is planning to introduce changes to railway transport, including checks on passports (internal ID documents) both when buying tickets and when boarding a train

The Ministry of Infrastructure is planning to introduce changes to railway transport, including checks on passports (internal ID documents) both when buying tickets and when boarding a train.  The Ministry states that it is introducing the relevant changes in a draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, and claims that names on tickets are needed to stop ticket touts.

Previously the Ministry suggested that people should be made to show their internal passport only when boarding the train. Now, according to this resolution, from 1 January 2013 train tickets will be issued on presentation of a passport or other form of ID

This means that the tickets will have the full name of the passenger on all but suburban train tickets.

Human rights groups have consistently opposed this move which they see as treating all passengers like potential criminals who need to be followed.  It is ironical that the Interior Ministry was previously most vocal in supporting this bill and used the Euro 2012 Championship as a kind of excuse.

Euro 2012 has passed, and it is now that the move is planned. What is more it will be passed by a Cabinet of Ministers resolutions, not a law which would give time for discussion and at least the theoretical possibility of lobbying parliamentarians.

It is also worth noting that over the last two and a half years there have been a number of occasions when people trying to reach Kyiv, usually, though not always, for protests, have been prevented from doing so.  This has generally been through the use of traffic police either stopping coaches, or threatening transport companies with problems if they transport certain passengers.  Named tickets in such circumstances would also be likely to have an intimidating effect. 

Photo: UNIAN

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