DNA: Mumbai: Thursday, January 29, 2015.
It is a
classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing. A commuter
who sent a legal notice to Western Railway (WR) on the lack of passenger
amenities, especially escalators at Jogeshwari station, gets a reply from WR
that an escalator for the station is 'under consideration'. However, WR's reply
to a Right to Information (RTI) query on the same subject by the same commuter
does not have Jogeshwari as one of the stations expected to get an escalator in
the near future.
Apart from
WR, to whom did the applicant file at RTI plea?
Since the
Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is also installing escalators at
certain stations, the commuter filed an RTI plea with MRVC as well. The answer
from MRVC too does not have Jogeshwari in the list of stations that are
supposed to get escalators.
How did WR
respond to the legal notice?
Speaking to
dna, commuter Mansoor Umer Darvesh, secretary of the Fort-based Passenger and
Traffic Relief Association, said, “It's very unfortunate that an agency like
the railways is indulging in plain bluffing when it comes to answering the
paying public. If neither the railways or the MRVC has plans to install an
escalator at Jogeshwari, then how come in reply to my legal notice WR says it
is under consideration. It just means that different railway agencies have no
coordination, and secondly, they just don't care.”
What did
the notice ask WR to do?
DNA in its
December 26 edition had highlighted the fact that Darvesh had sent a legal
notice on December 22 to WR over the abysmal conditions at Jogeshwari. The
notice asked the WR authorities, led by the general manager, to put things
right at the station in a time-bound manner failing which the railway as well
as its top officials would be dragged to court.
Why the
need for escalators at the station?
Darvesh said,
“The two foot over bridges at Jogeshwari are 25 feet and 27 feet respectively.
How do you expect old women and disabled people to climb? Some coupon
validating machines (CVMs) have been placed on these two FOBs. So, even if you
have coupons, you have to climb up. Isn't it the railway's duty to rectify
these things with the help of lifts or escalators?”
What other
issues plague Jogeshwari station?
Darvesh has
also highlighted how the number of booking windows have reduced at the station
over the past few months. “Another problem is the lack of a roof on the
platforms at the Borivli-end. I remember writing the first letter on it in the
early 1990s. Except promises, I have got nothing. Now, I want to see if the WR
authorities give me a time-bound answer or they dilly-dally like always,” said
Darvesh.
· Stations expected to get escalators as per WR's RTI reply
on Dec 22, 2014: Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra Terminus, Vile Parle, Borivli,
Mira Road, Bhanayander, Virar, Vapi, Valsad and Surat.
· Stations expected to get escalators as per MRVC reply on
Jan 7, 2015: Dadar, Andheri, Goregaon, Kandivli, Borivli, Bhayander, Vasai Road
and Nalasopara
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