RailEnquiry

RPF Attributes Rise To Better Policing

Nitasha Natu TNN


The vulnerability felt by women on Mumbais locals is borne out by statistics.In the first half of this year,the Railway Protection Force registered twice the number of cases of unauthorized travel in womens compartments on Western Railway than it did during the same period last year.
According to RPF,1,688 cases were lodged against men from January to June 2011 for journeying illegally in ladies coaches on WR trains.The figure in the first six months of this year was 3,544a steep rise of 110%.By contrast,Central Railways statistics were lower.From January to June 2011,the tally of cases lodged against men for unlawfully using womens coaches on CR was 1,783;this year,it dropped by 44% to 1,002.
RPF personnel attributed the upsurge in WR figures to better policing and increased security drives,though for many women commuters it was a pointer to the continued threat they face.Frequent travellers explained that men normally board ladies compartments on WR a little before 11pm.This is because after 11pm ladies coaches turn into general compartments,with the exception of the cars that are reserved round-the-clock for women.The demand to stop this conversion has gone unheeded for long.
The problem is worse on Virar-bound locals,where men start entering womens coaches at 10.50pm.Many women have kids with them and go through a difficult time alighting.Instances of groping are common, pointed out Saee Rane,who commutes from Bhayander every day.
Shilpa Jha,a housewife from Vasai,recollected an incident when she called out to a GRP constable in an adjacent first-class compartment.She alerted him about men travelling illegally in her compartment,but the cop gestured that he could not leave the compartment he was guarding.On the Central line,second-class womens coaches are not converted to general at night, Jha said.The same rule should be followed on WR.
Teenage boys performing stunts from footboards in ladies coaches is another consistent menace.The solution is to deploy female cops, said activist Sameer Zaveri.
RPF officials ascribed the rise in WR prosecution figures to a patrolling arrangement devised earlier this year.Our priority is safety of women.We also decided to focus more on coaches reserved for disabled travellers.As against last year,prosecution of people travelling illegally in such cars has risen by 67% this year, said an official from RPF (WR).
The official said the RPFs strategy has been to conduct surprise checks at nodal stations such as Churchgate,Mumbai Central,Dadar,Bandra,Andheri and Borivli.At night,two teams are deployed to patrol platforms and trains.One operates between Churchgate and Bandra and the other from Bandra to Virar.Each team comprises two female and two male constables and a male officer.