Crossing the tracks is a serious offence and any one caught in the act are booked for trespassing under Section 147 of Railways Act.
It’s a law the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is finding difficult to implement by the day. Nevertheless, they continue trying. This time, the force has come up with an initiative that will involve the offender’s family in a Gandhigiri fashion.
If a person is caught crossing the tracks, and if it is the first such offence for him, the RPF will promptly call the offender’s family to inform. Apart from stating the obvious — that it is a danger to life — the force personnel will also warn the family that if the offence is repeated, it will be punished with fine and imprisonment.
Kurla RPF sub-inspector Ashish Sinha said, “Assuming that the trespassers could either be a youth or an adult, our duty just does not end at informing the offender’s family. If it is youth, then along with informing the family, the matter is informed to college authorities. In case of adults, we will contact their place of work.”
The step to inform families, colleges or workplaces was taken after “fining trespassers itself has not solved the problem as many offenders are found to repeat their mistake even after paying up”, said Sanjay Singh, Kurla police inspector.
What has pushed the RPF into action is increased death toll, averaging 5 deaths and 5 injures on a daily basis. According to the statistics with the RPF, the maximum cases of deaths are of people being hit by a running train, while they were attempting to cross the track.
In fact, RPF statistics have singled out CST, Dadar, Kalyan, Kurla, Mankhurd, Masjid, Thane as the most vulnerable accident spots in the city.
According to RPF Inspector General, BS Sidhu, the maximum trespassing at Kurla is done by commuters who do not want to miss the 11am train. Keeping their eyes on the train from another platform, they jump on to the tracks to cross over and board it.”
Admitting that the growing number of accident deaths and injuries due to train hits were alarming, RPF’s Senior Divisional Security Commissioner SC Padhi told DNA, “Therefore the decision to call up offenders’ families and inform them about the cause of another possible death on the tracks.”
Padhi said the measures were implemented first at CST and Masjid and later at stations where the accident rate seemed high.
Crossing the tracks is a serious offence and any one caught in the act are booked for trespassing under Section 147 of Railways Act. Trespassers caught are fined of Rs1,000 or 6-month imprisonment or both.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}