It is a classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing. A commuter who sent a legal notice to Western Railway (WR) on the lack of passenger amenities, especially escalators at Jogeshwari station, gets a reply from WR that an escalator for the station is 'under consideration'. However, WR's reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query on the same subject by the same commuter does not have Jogeshwari as one of the stations expected to get an escalator in the near future.
It is a classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing. A commuter who sent a legal notice to Western Railway (WR) on the lack of passenger amenities, especially escalators at Jogeshwari station, gets a reply from WR that an escalator for the station is 'under consideration'. However, WR's reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query on the same subject by the same commuter does not have Jogeshwari as one of the stations expected to get an escalator in the near future.
Apart from WR, to whom did the applicant file at RTI plea?
Since the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is also installing escalators at certain stations, the commuter filed an RTI plea with MRVC as well. The answer from MRVC too does not have Jogeshwari in the list of stations that are supposed to get escalators.
How did WR respond to the legal notice?
Speaking to dna, commuter Mansoor Umer Darvesh, secretary of the Fort-based Passenger and Traffic Relief Association, said, “It's very unfortunate that an agency like the railways is indulging in plain bluffing when it comes to answering the paying public. If neither the railways or the MRVC has plans to install an escalator at Jogeshwari, then how come in reply to my legal notice WR says it is under consideration. It just means that different railway agencies have no coordination, and secondly, they just don't care.”
What did the notice ask WR to do?
dna in its December 26 edition had highlighted the fact that Darvesh had sent a legal notice on December 22 to WR over the abysmal conditions at Jogeshwari. The notice asked the WR authorities, led by the general manager, to put things right at the station in a time-bound manner failing which the railway as well as its top officials would be dragged to court.
Why the need for escalators at the station?
Darvesh said, “The two foot over bridges at Jogeshwari are 25 feet and 27 feet respectively. How do you expect old women and disabled people to climb? Some coupon validating machines (CVMs) have been placed on these two FOBs. So, even if you have coupons, you have to climb up. Isn't it the railway's duty to rectify these things with the help of lifts or escalators?”
What other issues plague Jogeshwari station?
Darvesh has also highlighted how the number of booking windows have reduced at the station over the past few months. “Another problem is the lack of a roof on the platforms at the Borivli-end. I remember writing the first letter on it in the early 1990s. Except promises, I have got nothing. Now, I want to see if the WR authorities give me a time-bound answer or they dilly-dally like always,” said Darvesh.
* Stations expected to get escalators as per WR's RTI reply on Dec 22, 2014: Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra Terminus, Vile Parle, Borivli, Mira Road, Bhanayander, Virar, Vapi, Valsad and Surat.
* Stations expected to get escalators as per MRVC reply on Jan 7, 2015: Dadar, Andheri, Goregaon, Kandivli, Borivli, Bhayander, Vasai Road and Nalasopara
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