Rail commuters kick up a stink about station hygiene. They have welcomed the Government’s decision to rope in private parties in maintenance of railway stations, which was announced in the Rail Budget on Tuesday. Commuters univocally said that cleanliness and hygiene at railway stations are the prime concerns and any move to address the issue would benefit the public at large.
The New Delhi Railway station witnesses a footfall of 5 lakh people daily and hence, maintaining high standards of cleanliness is a challenging task. As per the budget announcement, the private
parties will be roped in for maintenance and upkeep of escalators and lifts on platforms besides RO water purifiers on platforms. This, passengers said, would benefit the aged and the infirm. “These services will add up to fulfilling the basic needs of the passengers and would in a big way help the elderly to walk through the platforms easily. The escalators and lifts would help the commuters to carry their luggage easily without straining themselves,” passengers said.
Rajnish Kumar who arrived at the New Delhi Railway station from Ranchi on Tuesday said, “Cleanliness of station and platform should be the top priority for the Rail Minister and the concerned authorities. The budget announcement has raised hope for well-maintained stations.” “I think the public private partnership will be a great step towards the maintenance of railway stations and hope that it turns out to be good,” said Anita Jain, a daily commuter of the railways.
Some other passengers said the sale of platform and unreserved tickets online and at post offices was gift by the Government to the rail commuters.
“This service is going to save a lot of time and energy for the frequent commuters. Further, this will help decongesting the railway premises and better crowd management,” said Deep Narayan, another rail passenger. It may be noted that overcrowding of platforms on major stations like New Delhi, Old Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin is a major issue during the festive seasons and daily peak hours. This service may help to reduce the risk of stampede and work in favour of the safety of passengers.