Title - Railway restrooms leave passengers restless

Railway passengers have been left to the mercy of contractors who loot them for availing restroom facilities at stations.As per the Railways Act, urinals at Railway stations should be provided free of cost for train commuters, while Rs 2 may be charged for toilet facility and Rs 5 for bathing and changing facilities.However, private contractors entrusted with providing these essential facilities at Railway stations are illegally extracting money from unassuming passengers. At the Ernakulam North Station, the contract  staff members were found charging Rs 2 from passengers for using urinals. Although complaints have been pouring in regarding the issue, station masters or officials are not vested with the powers to stop the illegal practise.“Unless rules are strictly implemented from above, we cannot book contractors for charging money from passengers,” claimed a Railway official. At some stations, the rule is being blatantly violated by contract staff members, who ignore the instructions on display boards that specifically state that urinals are free to use.According to Mathew Paul, general secretary, All-Kerala Railway Passengers’ Association, restroom charges are not displayed at certain stations, making it easier for unscrupulous  operators to fleece unsuspecting passengers. 

“Having to pay exorbitantly for basic facilities is unfair. Passengers may not mind paying for urinals, as long as there is a uniform fixed price,” he opined.

In the wake of demands made by passengers from the Palakkad division, Divisional Railway Manager Piyush Agarwal has decided to strictly monitor contractors who charge money for urinal facilities. It has been decided to charge a fine of `500 from erring contractors who violate the rule. 

“We have decided to take strict action, based on complaints received from passengers. We will stick to the policy established by the Railways,” said Divisional Commercial Manager Damodaran.

However, Rajesh Agrawal, Divisional Railway Manager, Thiruvananthapuram begged to differ on the issue. He said that the division has yet to come up with any concrete plans in regard to the issue.

“Though such a rule exists in the Railways Act, the provision is not feasible as far as the Thiruvananthapuram division is concerned, where passenger traffic is higher than that at  Palakkad. The restrooms at Railway stations across India are now being run by private contractors. Urinals are the most used facility at stations and the contractors would not be willing to operate the urinals for free. Also, cleanliness is an issue that cannot be overlooked. The rule was enacted at a time when the Railways itself ran the facility,” he added.