The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is a vital player in facilitating train travel in India. Among its services, Tatkal was introduced to offer last-minute ticket options for travelers in urgent need. However, despite its best efforts, the Tatkal service often leaves citizens dissatisfied due to various obstacles and restrictions.
Likewise, the recent controversy surrounding IRCTC’s Tatkal service and the difficulties faced by users has become a hot topic of discussion, attracting significant attention on social media platforms.
The user shares his negative experience with Tatkal ticket booking
It all started when Twitter user Ravisutanjani expressed his dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of government websites such as IRCTC and EPFO. Ravisutanjani holds leadership positions in well-known startups like Rapido, Zomato, and Oyo.
In his initial tweet, Ravisutanjani detailed his appalling encounter with the Tatkal ticket booking process. He criticized IRCTC for losing tickets due to frequent platform outages. Despite having a fast internet connection, he faced immense difficulty in securing Tatkal tickets, resulting in long waitlists for trains. Ravisutanjani lamented that the inefficiencies of government portals, including IRCTC, negatively affect the common people. He wrote:
“IRCTC has a Horrible Tatkal Ticket Booking Experience, Portal Stops Working for 5 Minutes When you log in, and All Tickets are Gone. Highly Inefficient Even at the Fastest Internet. Flights seem Expensive, Trains are Heavily Waitlisted. Poor & Common People Suffer.”
IRCTC has Horrible Tatkal Ticket Booking Experience, Portal Stops Working for 5 Minutes
When you Login, All Tickets are Gone. Highly Inefficient even at Fastest Internet
Flights seem Expensive, Trains are Heavily Waitlisted. Poor & Common People Suffers
— Ravisutanjani (@Ravisutanjani) June 12, 2023
India Built UPI, Some World Class Products in Payments
But we still have to deal with such Inefficiencies in services that impact Masses
IRCTC, EPFO, MCA Portal to name a few, Didn’t see any decent Improvement in the last few years
— Ravisutanjani (@Ravisutanjani) June 12, 2023
The user also acknowledged India’s achievements in creating advanced payment systems like UPI. However, he expressed disappointment in the lack of improvement on various government websites, including IRCTC, EPFO, and the MCA Portal. He wrote:
Ravisutanjani emphasized the need for advancements and modifications in these services to assist the general population and provide smoother experiences. He also addressed the issue of agents purchasing Tatkal tickets and reselling them at exorbitant rates, depriving legitimate travelers of their rightful opportunities. He wrote:
His tweets quickly went viral, eliciting mixed reactions from users. Many people agreed with him and shared their own ordeals in the comment section.
IRCTC’s response to online criticism
I certainly understand the scale & challenges but there has to be some progress and amendments for public benefits
Genuine People can’t really get Tatkal Tickets Online while agents Book and sell for Heavy Premiums
— Ravisutanjani (@Ravisutanjani) June 12, 2023
Subsequently, the Twitter thread caught the attention of IRCTC. In response to Ravisutanjani’s tweet, IRCTC acknowledged the heavy rush and concurrency experienced on their website during Tatkal bookings. However, they highlighted that despite the challenges, over 2 lakh Tatkal tickets were successfully booked within the first 20 minutes of the service opening. IRCTC wrote:
“Sir, there is a heavy rush and concurrency on the website at the opening time of Tatkal. However, about 2 Lakh tatkal tickets were booked in the first 20 min of AC and Non AC tatkal.”
Sir, there is heavy rush and concurrency on the website at the opening time of tatkal. However about 2 Lakh tatkal tickets were booked in the first 20 min of AC and Non AC tatkal.
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) June 12, 2023
The Twitter interaction between Ravisutanjani and IRCTC quickly gained popularity, accumulating over a million views and sparking a broader debate about the flaws of the Tatkal service. While IRCTC acknowledged the issues faced by consumers, the significant number of bookings made in a brief period showcased the intense demand for Tatkal tickets.
This Twitter conversation has shed light on problems related to the Tatkal service, fueling debates on how to address them. IRCTC must act swiftly to resolve technical issues, website outages, ticket availability concerns, and the involvement of agents in the Tatkal ecosystem. By implementing reforms and enhancing its technological infrastructure, IRCTC can ensure a smoother and fairer experience for citizens relying on the Tatkal service for urgent travel needs.
