【新唐人2013年01月21日讯】中国大陆一年一度的农历新年返乡潮即将到来，购票难再一次成为热点话题。最近两名北京律师向铁道部发出《政府信息公开申请书》，要求公开今年春运期间的预留票数等信息。与此同时，有铁道部门官员号称，现在已经不可能靠内部关系拿票。他的这一说法受到网民的质疑和驳斥。下面请看记者的报导。
19号，北京律师肖文彬、马纲权通过快递，向铁道部邮寄了《政府信息公开申请书》，要求铁道部公开今年（2013年）1月26号到3月6号春运期间的一些相关信息。这包括：各车次的可售票总数、预留票总数 、不同销售途径的发放分配比例、和不同票种的发放规则等具体信息。
北京“莫少平律师事务所”律师肖文彬：“因为买票的时候很多人都买不到票，我感觉就是可能它（铁道部）发放的票太少了。预留的票可能比较多，给内部或者是其他部门的话，那可能就不公平。所以说要求它公布发放的数额、总数或者预留的总数。”
肖文彬表示，他希望通过这个申请来让民众更明确的参与监督铁道部。但基于铁道部的一贯做法，他对铁道部公开信息并不乐观。
肖文彬：“要期望它公开的话，可能很难。这个方面可能性不大，太低了。即便回复的话，它可能会找个借口，说数据无法统计、或者其他理由拒绝公布。”
在律师申请铁道部公开信息的同时，铁道部门官员也开始在媒体上对预留票问题进行辩解。大陆《扬子晚报》20号报导，上海铁路局新长车务段段长吴向东承认，以前确实存在很多靠内部关系搞票的情况。但他号称，自从铁道部实行网络购票后，内部搞票已经基本不可能，都得通过网上抢票。
但很多网民对吴向东的这一说法嗤之以鼻。有网友举出实际事例进行驳斥，网友说：我明明看到有人不买票就上车，然后大模大样的上卧铺！更有网友直斥吴向东：是骗子，在瞎扯。
肖文彬则指出，铁道部只有公布相关信息，才可能让人相信没有暗箱操作。
肖文彬：“你要是铁道部把这个全部给公开了，那大家就一目了然。大家才可以质疑、可以辩论，觉得是不是合理。这一下就很明确了。你如果公开都不敢公开的话，这个又不是国家秘密，那就很难让人家相信你里面没有暗箱操作。”
北京“两高律师事务所”律师董正伟也向《新唐人》表示，这位铁道部官员的话很不靠谱。铁道部是个自上而下的垄断系统，“内部票”的现像一直存在，根本无法杜绝。
北京“两高律师事务所”律师董正伟：“这个是铁道部一直在胡说。每一年，各个地方、下面车站的售票人员都倒卖车票。下面的车站，（车票）一开卖就没了。”
去年（2012年）9月，董正伟也曾经要求铁道部公开“12306购票网站招投标过程”的全部信息，以监督这个耗费巨资的网站背后，是否存在贪腐问题。但董正伟的申请被铁道部以答非所问的方式“回避”，无奈之下，他向法院提起诉讼。据董正伟透露，法院在1月7号受理了案件，他目前正在等待开庭审理。
采访/易如 编辑/李谦 后制/建铭
Lawyers Request China’sRailways Ministry to Release Ticket Data for
Chinese New Year Travel Rush
The annual travel rush for Chinese
New Year travel is fast approaching.
Difficulties buying a ticket home have
resurfaced as a focus of public discussion.
Recently, two Beijing lawyers sent
a petition to the Ministry of Railways.
They demanded for information regarding sale
and reservation of train tickets to made public.
A railway official openly claimed that
there are no longer tickets for reservation.
The officials remarks were questioned
and have been refuted by netizens.
On January 19, lawyer Xiao Wenbin and Ma Gangquan
sent an open petition to the Railways Ministry.
They requested the Ministry to publically release train
ticket information for the Spring Festival travel rush.
The rush is from January 26 to March 6.
The letter requested the following information;
total number of tickets for sale and for reservation;
proportion of tickets sold through all distribution channels;
rules for ticket sale, as well as other rules.
Xiao Wenbin, Lawyer at Mo Shaoping Law Firm, Beijing:
“Lots of people couldn’tget tickets each year during the travel rush.
I think the actual tickets for sale might be too few.
Instead, tickets are left for profiteering or for reservation
by people who are connected with the company.
If so, that would be unfair. That’swhy we asked them
to release data about the tickets for sale or reservation.”
Xiao Wenbin hopes that this petition may help inspire more
public awareness for a watchdog of the Railways Ministry.
Yet based on the Ministry’susual practice,
Xiao doesn’tfeel optimistic about the result.
Xiao Wenbin: “They can hardly manage
it, and have a very low probability.
They’ll find excuses to refuse releasing information, such
as there being no statistics yet, or some other reason.”
Meanwhile, railway officials began to defend
themselves on the issue of reserved tickets.
On January 20, the Yangzi Evening News reported that
Wu Xiangdong, a trainmaster at Shanghai Railway Bureau,
alleged that reserved tickets had existed in the past.
However, since the online ticket booking system
was put into service, reserved tickets no longer exist.
Wu claimed that now everyone has to snap up
train tickets through the online booking service.
In contrast, lots of netizens criticized Wu Xiangdong’sclaim.
Someone refuted the claims with their personal experiences.
“I clearly saw some people were allowed to get on a train
without showing ticket, and even occupied a sleeping berth!”
Another netizen labeled Wu as, “a liar talking rubbish.”
Xiao Wenbin says that the Railways Ministry will
gain public trust only by releasing relevant information
to prove that there are no black-box operations done.
Xiao Wenbin: “It will be clear to everyone
when the figures are made public.
This information offers a basis for the
public to question or argue the rationality.
If it dares to not release the information,
when the information is not a state secret,
how can you convince the public that
you haven’toperated in the dark?”
Dong Zhengwei, lawyer at Beijing
Lianggao Law Firm, shares the view.
Dong says the railways official’sremarks make no
sense, as the Railways Ministry is a monopoly system.
Reserved tickets have always existed.
It’sunable to put an end to such things.
Dong Zhengwei: “For a long time,
the Railways has talked nonsense.
Each year, ticketing staffs in every
region Lawyers Request China’sRailways Ministry to Release Ticket Data for
Chinese New Year Travel Rush
The annual travel rush for Chinese
New Year travel is fast approaching.
Difficulties buying a ticket home have
resurfaced as a focus of public discussion.
Recently, two Beijing lawyers sent
a petition to the Ministry of Railways.
They demanded for information regarding sale
and reservation of train tickets to made public.
A railway official openly claimed that
there are no longer tickets for reservation.
The officials remarks were questioned
and have been refuted by netizens.
On January 19, lawyer Xiao Wenbin and Ma Gangquan
sent an open petition to the Railways Ministry.
They requested the Ministry to publically release train
ticket information for the Spring Festival travel rush.
The rush is from January 26 to March 6.
The letter requested the following information;
total number of tickets for sale and for reservation;
proportion of tickets sold through all distribution channels;
rules for ticket sale, as well as other rules.
Xiao Wenbin, Lawyer at Mo Shaoping Law Firm, Beijing:
“Lots of people couldn’tget tickets each year during the travel rush.
I think the actual tickets for sale might be too few.
Instead, tickets are left for profiteering or for reservation
by people who are connected with the company.
If so, that would be unfair. That’swhy we asked them
to release data about the tickets for sale or reservation.”
Xiao Wenbin hopes that this petition may help inspire more
public awareness for a watchdog of the Railways Ministry.
Yet based on the Ministry’susual practice,
Xiao doesn’tfeel optimistic about the result.
Xiao Wenbin: “They can hardly manage
it, and have a very low probability.
They’ll find excuses to refuse releasing information, such
as there being no statistics yet, or some other reason.”
Meanwhile, railway officials began to defend
themselves on the issue of reserved tickets.
On January 20, the Yangzi Evening News reported that
Wu Xiangdong, a trainmaster at Shanghai Railway Bureau,
alleged that reserved tickets had existed in the past.
However, since the online ticket booking system
was put into service, reserved tickets no longer exist.
Wu claimed that now everyone has to snap up
train tickets through the online booking service.
In contrast, lots of netizens criticized Wu Xiangdong’sclaim.
Someone refuted the claims with their personal experiences.
“I clearly saw some people were allowed to get on a train
without showing ticket, and even occupied a sleeping berth!”
Another netizen labeled Wu as, “a liar talking rubbish.”
Xiao Wenbin says that the Railways Ministry will
gain public trust only by releasing relevant information
to prove that there are no black-box operations done.
Xiao Wenbin: “It will be clear to everyone
when the figures are made public.
This information offers a basis for the
public to question or argue the rationality.
If it dares to not release the information,
when the information is not a state secret,
how can you convince the public that
you haven’toperated in the dark?”
Dong Zhengwei, lawyer at Beijing
Lianggao Law Firm, shares the view.
Dong says the railways official’sremarks make no
sense, as the Railways Ministry is a monopoly system.
Reserved tickets have always existed.
It’sunable to put an end to such things.
Dong Zhengwei: “For a long time,
the Railways has talked nonsense.
Each year, ticketing staffs in every
region’srailway stations resold tickets.
Many region’sstations announced that tickets
were sold out, when they had just began selling.”
In September 2012, Dong Zhengwei asked the
Railways Ministry to release full information
on the bidding process on 12306.cn, which is
the official online ticket sales service website.
Dong believes that this information will help
monitor corruption behind this costly site.
Finally, the Ministry’sanswer “evaded” Dong’s
request, which forced Dong to file a lawsuit.
The court accepted the case on January 7,
said Dong, and now he is awaiting a hearing.s railway stations resold tickets.
Many region’sstations announced that tickets
were sold out, when they had just began selling.”
In September 2012, Dong Zhengwei asked the
Railways Ministry to release full information
on the bidding process on 12306.cn, which is
the official online ticket sales service website.
Dong believes that this information will help
monitor corruption behind this costly site.
Finally, the Ministry’sanswer “evaded” Dong’s
request, which forced Dong to file a lawsuit.
The court accepted the case on January 7,
said Dong, and now he is awaiting a hearing.
