Transport Allowance: RBE No.179/1997 – Fifth Pay Commission

No.PC-V/97/I/7/12, dated 16.12.1997

Sub: Recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission – Decisions of Government relating to grant of Transport Allowance to Railway servants.    

1. Consequent upon the decisions taken by the Government on the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission relating to Transport Allowance (to suitably compensate for the cost incurred on account of commuting between the place of residence and place of duty) vide Ministry of Finance’s resolution No.50(1)IC/97, dated 30.09.1997 and promulgation of the Railway Services (Revised Pay) Rules 1997, the President is pleased to decide that the Railway employees shall be entitled to Transport Allowance at the following rates:-

	Pay Scale of the Employee	Rate of Transport Allowance per month (in Rupees)
A-1/ A Class city	Other Places
1	Employees drawing pay in the scale of Rs.8000-13500 or above.	800	400
2	Employees drawing pay in the scale of Rs.6500-10500 or above.	400	200
3	Employees drawing pay below the scale of Rs.6500-10500.	100	75

2. The grant of transport allowance under these orders shall be regulated according to, and will be subject to, the following conditions: 

(i) The cities referred to as “A” and “A-1” in these orders shall be the same as those classified as such for the purpose of Compensatory (City) Allowance (CCA) in terms of the orders issued separately regulating grant of CCA to the Central Government employees;

(ii) The allowance shall not be admissible to those employees who are provided with Government accommodation within a distance of 1 km or within a campus housing the places of work and residence.

Note 1: The grant of the allowance under these orders would be subject to furnishing of a certificate by the Railway employee that the Government accommodation is not located within 1 km. from the place of work of the concerned employee or within a campus housing the places of work and residence.

Note 2: The allowance shall also not be admissible to railway employees posted at wayside stations for whom:- 

(a) railway accommodation is specifically earmarked or 

(b) whose occupation of railway Quarters is essential for easy accessibility during emergency, essential discharge of duties etc., in the following instances:-

(i)  in case they surrender such accommodation,

(ii)   do not submit application for such accommodation, or 

(iii) who after submitting application for such accommodation refuse to accept it when offered or allotted.

Note 3: In the case of employees who are presently availing the facility of residential card passes of any type (including for spouse and children, children’s school RCP etc.), an option may be given to the employee. In case they opt for the transport allowance they may be paid the allowance at rates as applicable to them subject to the condition that the existing facility of RCP of any type as well as the facility of travelling on card pass/ metal pass on suburban sections for non-official duties would be withdrawn from the date they opt for the transport allowance.

Note 4: In the case of the employees presently availing of the facility of workmen trains and option is to be given to the employees as a group to either avail themselves of the existing facility or to switch over to the payment of transport allowance as admissible under these orders.

Note 5: In the case of Gangmen of Engineering Department, the distance of 1 Km. for the place of work shall be measured from the Tool Box.

Note 6: “Campus” as referred to above will be defined as “A self-contained unit with residence and office in an exclusive railway area”. 

(iii) The allowance shall not be admissible to those employees who have been provided with the facility of Government transport. 

(iv)  In case of employees who have opted to draw pay in the pre-revised scales of pay, the transport allowance shall be regulated in accordance with the revised scales of pay to which such employees would have been entitled to, had they opted to come over to revised scales.

(v)  In case of officers of the level of Head of Department (SAG) in Rs.18400-22400 and above and officers in the scale Rs.16400-20000 if in the field and designated as HOD, who have been provided with the facility of staff car for commuting between office and residence on prescribed payment basis under Railway Board’s Order No.E(G) 95 AL 4-9, dated 06.11.1995, an option may be given to them either to avail themselves of the existing facility or to switch over to the payment of Transport Allowance, as admissible under these orders. In case they opt for the latter, they may be paid the allowance at rates as applicable to them, subject to the condition that the existing facility of staff car shall be withdrawn from the date they opt for the allowance. In case they opt for the former, the allowance shall not be admissible to them and they would not be required to make any payment for the facility of staff car between residence and office.

(vi)  In terms of Board’s orders vide No.F(E)I-78/AL-7/5, dated 23.10.1978 as amended from time to time, conveyance allowance is admissible to such of the Railway employees borne on regular establishment (including work-charged staff) as are blind or are orthopaedically handicapped with disability of lower extremities. Consequent upon coming into force of these orders, such conveyance allowance shall be abolished and instead all such employees may now be paid transport allowance at double the normal rates prescribed under these orders. In case, however, such handicapped employees have been provided with Government accommodation within a distance of one kilometer from the place of work or within a campus housing the places of work and residence, the allowance shall be admissible at normal rates as applicable under these orders. The allowance shall not be admissible in case such employees have been provided with the facility of Government Transport.

(vii) This allowance will not be admissible during absence from duty exceeding 30 days due to leave (including prefixing and suffixing of holidays), training, tour etc.

3.     These order shall take effect from 01.08.1997.

4.    This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.179/1997

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.125/2004, RBE No.111/2008,