Do not get confused when you ask for a railway reservation ticket and get a colourful ‘pamphlet’ carrying advertisements instead.
After rolling branded trains on tracks, the Indian Railways is set to issue ‘branded tickets’. This is the second time in the recent past when the Railways has become a bearer of sales promotion drive of some private firms. The ‘adver-ticket’ may come into circulation from the last week of July or first week of August.
South-Western Railway Zone spokesperson Daasharathi told Deccan Herald the size of the ticket would be bigger than the normal one.
“Presently, the size of the ticket is 15 cm x 9 cm but the new tickets would be 18 cm long and 10 cm wide,” he said.
He said there would be vertical and horizontal strips in the front for advertisements, while the rear would be entirely devoted to advertisements. But there are restrictions on placing advertisements.
Not for all
“Not all can advertise in our tickets. They won’t carry ads on cigarettes, tobacco and liquor. Also obscene ads are not permitted,” said Daasharathi.
The tickets will be more colourful than those being those being sold presently.
The Railways is reportedly receiving tremendous response from companies making Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
An officer said the tickets may not remain mere tickets in future. It would offer some gifts or concessions on some FMCG products. “It is quite possible, people won’t throw it or hand it over to the ticket collector, but would keep it safely to encash the concession offered on some products,” he said.