Corporates must fund maintenance of FOBs

Railway activists in the city have suggested that the corporate sector must be handed over the responsibility of maintaining the foot overbridges at stations. The maintenance of the bridges has come to the fore after the horrific incident of stampede which killed 23 people on the Elphinstone Road bridge on September 29.

The activists said that the beautification and cleanliness of the overbridges could be handed over to the corporate sector so that it could be maintained in a proper way. “The beautification would include cleanliness of the bridge which can be done after signing a contract with the railways. The old water taps at railway station platforms are owned by various trusts. In a similar manner, railways can hand over the responsibility of maintaining the overbridges to different corporate sectors,” said Kailash Verma, a member of Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) of Western Railway.

The corporate sector could deploy their men at stations and guide commuters on using the bridge. “The railways can give space and allow the corporate sector to put their advertisements at station premises. The members of the corporate sector can help the commuters in managing the crowd during peak hours when the stations become crowded. They could also help in keeping the bridges free from garbage,” said Anil Galgali, a Right to Information activist.

Few railway activists also alleged that it was the responsibility of the railways to maintain the bridges as they have constructed it.

“There is no need of handing over the maintenance work to the corporate sector as the railways can themselves do it. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) are deployed to look after the problems faced by the commuters at stations and inside the trains. Similarly, the station master has been assigned to look after the cleanliness of the station. Railways have the sufficient manpower and can thereby maintain the bridges,” said Madhu Kotian, President of Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.