Western Railway to install CCTVs to nab escalator vandals

Railway authorities in the city are slowly getting exasperated at ways in which a few mischievous persons and end up inconveniencing hundreds of commuters. The latest such mischief which is troubling both the Western Railway (WR) and its commuters is that people press the redbutton at the base of the escalator and stall it. According to WR officials, while it's happening at several stations, Borivli is among the worst hit.

While commuters end up thinking that the escalator is not working, the truth is that the escalator wouldre-start only with the key kept at the station master's office. Inmost of the escalators, the key hole is just beside the red emergency button. Now, WR is planning to install close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras atthe base of some of the escalators to nip the menace in the bud."This is a rising problem and it is inconveniencing commuters, especially the elderly for whom the escalator is a great help. Wehave decided to employ CCTV cameras to get hold of these people who deliberately stall escalators," said Sharat Chandrayan, chiefpublic relations officer, WR.

Most railway officials believe it is the homeless kids who loiter around railway stations who are responsible for this problem. During thenight when the crowds thin out, these children tend to go up the escalator," said a senior railway official.

Vandal's world:
Escalators:
The latest plaything for vandals. In the initial days, there werecases of people putting in objects like slippers or small planksbetween the steps to stall the escalator. In one case, a man was arrested for stealing the metal sheets that make up the steps of anescalator.

Coupon Vending Machines: Complaints about CVMs have been a commutingstaple for several years now. The main culprit, maintenance engineers found out, was chewing gum that was inserted into the punching slotof the machine.

Automatic Ticket Vending Machines: It is another piece of equipment that gets vandalised with urchins smashing its touch screen.

Drumclocks: Have been an object of the vandal's ire for several years now. According to officials, during certain days of the week, especially wee hours of Tuesday, the chances of these drum clocksbeing hit by vandals on the foot board of the train have always remained high.