'Commuters Must Know Where They're Wrong': Meet the Mumbai TTE Who Collected Rs 1Cr Fine in 6 Months

Serving the Indian Railways for around 35 years, Sunil Nainani from the Mumbai Division of the Central Zone is a well-known face. The strict Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) is easily identified by commuters — some know him for his bearded look and others for his polite-yet-aggressive ticket checking tactics.

Between April 1 and October 13, Nainani has caught 10,428 ticketless passengers and imposed a penalty of Rs 1,00,02,830 on them.

Speaking to News18, Nainani said he wishes for a day when everyone follows rules and he does not have to impose fines but that still seems like a dream.

“Sometimes, people are careless and sometimes, it is the lack of time or awareness that makes people travel in trains without tickets. I don’t just collect fine but also tell them how they can avoid such a situation in future,” he said, adding that it gives him pleasure when defaulters, on their next trip, meet him and show their tickets proudly.

He said while TTEs ensure that passengers travelling without tickets are caught, they also have to ensure that those with valid tickets are not disturbed.

On being asked what makes him so different that he achieved this feat, Nainani casually shrugged — “I only do my work with seriousness”.

“In the last (financial) year, I had collected Rs 1.62 crore as fine. At the beginning of this year, I thought I would repeat this. This time, I achieved Rs 1 crore in just a little over six months. It takes dedication and hard work to achieve what you want,” Nainani said, adding that not losing one’s cool is another critical aspect of his job.

He explained that at times, passengers get angry and misbehave but TTEs only take help from the RPF in extreme cases.

“I try to explain to passengers where they are wrong and why fines are being imposed. Not everyone is equally cooperative but I do what is expected of me. Since I have been doing this job for so long, I know how to deal with passengers. Another important aspect of the job is that passengers should not think negatively about the Railways. If there is any issue from our side, I take it up with my seniors and they resolve it. If it is the passenger’s fault, I try and explain the same to them,” he said.

He went on to say that his seniors acknowledge achievements and motivate them to do better. “It is a great inspiration for us to do better every day,” he added.

Nainani, who belongs to Kalyan, is part of the flying squad and checks local as well as mail express trains.

“In cases where passengers are not ready to listen, I simply ask them why they think we will bother them. They have to know that this is where they are wrong. Fine is the secondary part but it is also important that people know where exactly they are making a mistake. I then request passengers to not repeat this,” he said.

Explaining that with the online system passengers no longer need to stand in queues for tickets, he said: “Railways is doing everything to make passenger experience great. Every day, I impose fines on 60-70 passengers on an average. There is no trick but it is experience and dedication,” he said.

Central Railways Outperforming Other Zones

During 2022-23, the Central Railways achieved a landmark in ticket checkings with earnings of over Rs 300 crore by penalising 46.32 lakh passengers. This is the first time that any zone in Railways has achieved such a milestone. From the Mumbai Division alone, the zone collected Rs 108.25 crore from 19.57 lakh cases.

Last year, at least 20 ticket checkers individually made receipts of more than o¬ne crore from the zone, including Nainani who was at the third position. D Kumar (22,847 cases and Rs 2,11,07,865) and SB Galande (22,384 cases and Rs 1,97,87,470) were at the top two positions.

Among the TTEs from the Mumbai Division, Nainani was at the top position in 2022-23. Only four TTEs of Mumbai division have imposed a penalty of more than Rs 1 crore individually. Others were Bhim Reddy (Rs 1.03 crore and 11,178 ticketless passengers); MM Shinde (Rs 1 crore and 11,145 ticketless passengers) and RD Bahot (Rs 1 crore and 11,292 ticketless passengers).

Even during 2021-22, the Central Railways earned Rs 214.41 crore — highest amongst all zones.

“To ensure comfortable travel and better services to all bonafide rail users, Central Railway conducts intensive ticket checking in Suburban, Mail Express, Passenger services, and special trains across all its divisions to curb ticketless and irregular travel. Central Railway appeals to the passengers to travel with proper and valid railway tickets in order to avoid inconvenience and travel with dignity,” the zone said in a statement.