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Despite stern action being taken by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the number of unauthorised persons travelling in coaches for the handicapped in Mumbai’s suburban (Central and Western) railways has gone up by more than 42%.
The figures provided by the RPF showed that in 2011, they had arrested 25,992 persons and the court had collected a total fine of Rs51.64 lakh from these offenders. However, in 2012, they arrested 37,022 persons and collected a total fine of Rs92.49 lakh from them.
At the same time, the court sent 130 to jail in 2012 for not paying the fine whereas in 2011, only 37 offenders were sent to jail by the court.
“To curb the menace, the Railway Board should increase the fine amount from Rs500 to Rs2000,” pointed out Jeetendra Karelia, president of Disability Advocacy Group of India and added that he had written a letter to the Railway Board and both general managers of CR and WR recently to increase the fine amount.
He also observed that often, women who are only one or two months pregnant travel in the handicapped coaches with their husbands for their comfort. Karelia said that pregnant women must carry a certificate from a hospital, showing that the pregnancy is in the advanced stage. The railway authority should check this certificate, he added.
On the other hand, Rajendra Rupnavar, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF, Western Railway, said, “We have been conducting drives regularly against unauthorised persons traveling in handicapped coaches persons.” He pointed out that their aim is not to collect the fine, but to educate and create awareness among physically fit commuters.
Source : DNA , 22nd July 2013
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