25,000 nabbed in Thane for crossing tracks …………Somit Sen I TNN
Mumbai: Hundreds of passengers commute from Vashi to Thane daily, but what has surprised the police is an increase in the number of commuters crossing railway tracks rather than using the foot overbridge at Thane station. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnelwho are on special vigil on the trackshave caught a record 25,000 passengers in the past two months alone.
With fines being anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 500, one can imagine how much money must have accumulated in the railway coffers. Some are even produced before a court and have to sign bonds. Among those caught are doctors, architects, principals, students, businessmen and even government servants, say the RPF officials.
It is a disturbing trend, said RPF senior inspector A K Mishra. More train services were introduced on the Vashi-Thane route more than a year ago. The train usually arrives on platform number 10, which is why many commuters dont want to climb the bridge. Instead, they cross the tracks and put their lives to risk. Mishra pointed out that several long distance trains did not stop at Thane and there were on an average 25 accident cases every month.
Most of the accidents are fatal, said Mishra, who has already teamed up with an NGO to put up signboards, placards and banners preventing commuters from crossing railway tracks. Our repeated pleas fall on deaf ears. There are habitual offenders whom we catch, he said.
In the recent past, several students have even been let off by the RPF personnel after being warned. Some of them have to attend college or appear for exams. We allow them to go on humanitarian grounds, said a police official deployed near the tracks. Those caught are rounded up with a rope and brought to the RPF outpost near Thane station. We get them to sign a bond and follow court procedures before fining them, an official stated. This correspondent himself came across some government officials and a principal who were caught by the RPF and had to sign bonds.
The RPF has decided to be more stringent next time. Sources said there were plans to post officials on the platform, preventing people from crossing. It is better to prevent them than wait for them to cross and pay fines, an official added.