Men pass up travel in ladies' coaches

Travelling in local trains seems much safer for women now. The latest statistics show a 63% fall in the number of male commuters travelling in women's compartments along the Central line.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Central Railway (CR) attributes this dip to their alertness and prompt action against male offenders.

“We used to receive several complaints from women about men travelling in their compartment. So we decided to come down heavily on the offenders, which has led to the decline in the prosecution figures,” said Alok Bohra, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF (CR).

A special women's R PF squad has been manning the six women's special trains run by the CR to stop men from travelling women's compartments and prevent molestation, eve-teasing and passing of lewd remarks against women commuters.

“If the special squad notices such nefarious activities, they alert their male colleagues patrolling at the next station so they can take stern action against the anti-social elements,” Bohra said, adding that CCTV cameras installed at all suburban stations are closely monitored by RPF personnel to tackle such offenders.

The security commissioner also appealed to women to call the RPF helpline, 1275, for assistance if they notice anyone suspicious in the train or the station.

Also, in a joint operation with the Mumbai Government Railway Police, they have nabbed 365 such male offenders this year (till February 28) and collected a fine of Rs80,000 from them.

@dayanand_kamath