In a move to make travel easier for senior citizens, the Indian Railways is likely to reserve at least one luggage compartment for the older people in Mumbai. This comes after when public litigation was filed in 2022 in the Bombay High Court, demanding a separate bogey for elderly people. It also has been reported that the railway’s authorities have also filed an affidavit in the court regarding the same.
As per the PIL filed by 66-year-old petitioner named K P Purushothamam Nair, it said there are more than 50,000 senior citizens who travel on the suburban trains on a daily basis, and do not get a place inside the train to sit properly as most of them are usually taken by the youngsters.
Servey for separate compartment in local trains for senior citizens
Recently, a survey also has been conducted, which revealed that turning one vendor compartment out of four for citizens won’t cause any difficulties as luggage compartments occupy 6.18 percent of the space on a 12-car train. However, it runs only 0.32 percent out of the total capacity. When it comes to general class, it carries more than 30 percent of the passengers from its actual capacity.
Officials on separate compartment for senior citizens
Commenting on the data recovered from the survey, the official said it is somehow not possible to make space in the general coach as it is already overcrowded with passengers. On the other hand, making space for senior citizens in the luggage compartment is more practical as the empty space can be utilized.
Meanwhile, a sou motu PIL, which was developed from a letter filed by A B Thakker, sought the establishment of a separate compartment for old citizens. It was heard in 2014 by a division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A S Gadkari. Again in 2015, the Bombay HC ordered the CR and WR to set aside 14 seats in every suburban train for older passengers, and asked them to make sure the reserved seat will not take by any passengers.
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