Real-name Train Ticket System

For years, China has seen an increasing abuse of the train ticket system. It seems thatscalpers would buy up all the tickets which are already in short supply and resell them at a ' ...

higher price to those who have no access to a single train ticket, especially during peak traveltimes. The Chinese govemment, therefore, institutes a new "real-name train ticket system"-ID card is required for ticket purchase.

The advantage is obvious-scalpers and unethical travel agencies can no longer cheat thepublic, and consequently, train ticket sales will be under control and passengers' interests willbe protected. However, one unforeseen problem is identity theft. Buying train ticket online orfrom the agencies means you are at risk ofhaving your personal information exposed. Anotherunintentional result is that buying a train ticket would be impossible for those whose ID cardsare not available for the time being.

Any new system has its disadvantages. I'm confident, however, that the govemment willsolve those problems quickly so that the train ticket system can continue to serve people allaroundChina.