Rooftop travellers unfazed: cops fine 460 miscreants in 3 months

CRACKDOWN CONTINUES Panvel RPF have also fined 210 men for travelling in women’s coaches

NAVI MUMBAI: The efforts by railway authorities to check the number of roof-top travellers on the harbour line of the Central Railway seems to have borne no fruit. In last three months, the railway protection force (RPF), Mankhurd, has arrested 426 people for travelling on roofs, on the footboard and for performing stunts on local trains and collected a fine of Rs42,000 from them. Around 34 cases were filed with the Panvel RPF in the period.

According to RPF officials, travelling on rooftops was not a rush-hour phenomenon and in most cases, the offenders were teenagers out to have fun.

In order to dissuade people from carrying out these stunts, officials have put up a number of warnings for commuters asking them to no travel without unauthorised tickets, mentioning the punishments for stunts and the risk to life because of crossing tracks. However, none of it seems to have worked.

Further, as part of its drive to make commuting by train safer for women, the RPF has also arrested a number of men for travelling in women’s compartments. During its daily checks on trains, the Panvel RPF has arrested many miscreants who get in to the women’s compartment in suburban trains and the women’s special trains.

As per the Panvel RPF records, 210 such cases have been prosecuted from August to October this year for travelling illegally in the women’s coaches and a fine of Rs61,000 has been collected.

“There has been a sudden rise in the number of men travelling in the women’s compartments. This is why we have increased the vigilance. Offenders who are caught are prosecuted and booked under section 162 of the Railways Act and a penalty of Rs500 is charged from each person,” said police inspector Prashant Sansare of Panvel RPF.

However, officials said that offenders travelling in women’s compartments always had excuses on being caught. “While some say they got in because the train was crowded, others say they did not realise they were getting in to the women’s compartment,” said Sansare.

Commuters, however, complained about t he l ack of police personnel on platforms. Deepanita Sharma, a regular commuter, said, “Just imposing a small fine won’t help. There needs to be regular patrolling.”

The age- old rules of the Railway Act that allow rooftop travellers to get away with a meagre fine nullify the efforts taken by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), experts said.