RPF plans spot fine to reduce hawkers on rly premises

Railway Protection Force has sent a proposal to the railway board for introducing spot fine to reduce the hawker menace on railway premises.

This would ensure that the hawkers would not be able to return to the spot to conduct business. The railway board is yet to accept the proposal.

Officials said a spot fine of up to Rs 500 would act as a deterrent. The other ways could be confiscating their goods.

“Confiscating the goods sold by hawkers would hit them financially. Spot fine would act as a strong deterrent to hawking, as many hawkers tend to return to their place after paying their fine amount in court,” said Sachin Bhalode, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner of Central Railway (CR).

There was a 30% rise in the number of hawkers prosecuted this year as compared to last year. Statistics from RPF revealed that at least 4,864 hawkers were prosecuted last year between January to March and at least 6,939 hawkers were prosecuted in the same period this year.

The hawkers are prosecuted under the 144 (a) section of railway act for hawking. They are usually found to be encroaching upon the railway premises of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Dadar and Kurla areas.

During the anti-hawker drive conducted by RPF, it was found that the hawkers willingly come to court to pay the fine and return to hawking in the same area again.

“It does not make any difference to hawkers even if they are fined Rs 200. It is also difficult to prosecute women hawkers in the evening as we cannot arrest them after sunset,” said Bhalode.