Welfare of 12 lakh Senior Citizens of Mumbai- Effective facility to Senior Citizens for entering suburban trains as per observations of Bombay High Court in PIL no. 243 of 2009.

To                                     Mumbai. Date: 22-7-14.

Respected MPs of Mumbai.

Sub: Welfare of 12 lakh Senior Citizens of Mumbai- Effective facility to Senior Citizens for entering suburban trains as per observations of Bombay High Court in PIL no. 243 of 2009.

1.      As you are aware suburban trains of Mumbai are overcrowded and senior citizens of Mumbai are deprived of travelling in these trains due to their ageing incapacity to enter these trains. As per Government policy, they are required to be provided with Age-friendly, barrier-free access in buses and bus stations, railways and railway stations, airports and bus transportation within the airports, banks, hospitals, parks, places of worship, cinema halls, shopping malls and other public places which senior citizens and the disabled frequent. BEST, NMMT, TMT, MBMT, ST- all transport corporations in Mumbai have accepted the Government Policy and provided separate seats & separate entrance for Senior Citizens with specific provision to utilize 2 additional seats meant for handicapped, if vacant in spite of their buses going more crowded than Suburban trains. In fact, BEST has recently increased the reservation to 5 seats i.e. 10% of total seats. Banks, Passport Offices, Post Offices have provided separate Counters for Senior Citizens. It is only Railways, which have miserably failed to follow this Policy for last 15 years for Suburban Trains on wrong pretext of inconvenience to other passengers, resulting in abuse of Senior Citizens of the Mumbai by Railways. This argument of inconvenience to others is not kept in view, while increasing Ladies Specials & 3 coaches to Handicapped in 15 coach-trains!! The fact that large numbers of Senior Citizens travel, somehow daily, in crowded trains also is forgotten. These very senior citizen passengers are to be given a facility of entering without difficulty and seating due to their age & physical condition and as a respect to Elders of the Country as per Government Policy.

2.      High Court of Mumbai in para 4 of above PIL has observed that ``if seats are earmarked for senior citizens in general II class compartment, we fail to understand as to how senior citizens, specially who are above 65 or 70 years of age, will be able to enter II class general compartments to avail of the reserved seats.----the facility has to be an effective facility so that those who deserve the benefit must be able to avail of the same.``

3.      As per Press Reports, above PIL was processed on 27-6-14 and Western Railway has not agreed to give separate coach to senior citizens but Court has not passed orders and awaiting response of Central Railway and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Delhi..

4.      In this connection, we want to bring out to your notice that no separate coach is to be manufactured but only in one of the 12/15 coaches, separate Entrance is to be provided by putting fencing (Jhali) on one side of the coach in the similar way, as separate entrance is provided in some existing 1^st Class Gent coaches for ladies in Central & Western Railways. Providing a separate entrance/coach of 13 seats to your ageing segment of society, who are frail & handicapped due to no fault of theirs but only due to ageing process, for whom Government has provided specific policy in 1999, will not create great inconvenience to general passengers, as 14 seats reserved in 2 compartments can be surrendered in lieu of separate coach/separate entrance in one side of a coach. As all IInd Class compartments on both ends have a capacity of 13 seats, one side corner of only one coach in the entire train of 12/15 coach can be earmarked for Senior Citizens by blocking entry of general passengers for that particular side of one coach. This will not cause much inconvenience to general passengers, who have got advantage of increased number of trains and 12 & 15 coaches now in place of 9 coaches earlier with Metro trains and Mono Rails. Western Railway had accepted the necessity and demand for separate second class half compartment for exclusive use by senior citizens in their letter no. C436/32/1 Vol V(3) dt 18-1-2005 and had requested Railway Board to permit this. Now, Railway Board have given clear orders in their letter no. 2011/TG-1/19/214(RTI)  dt 20-1-12 to both Railways that earmarking of accommodation in suburban trains is to be done by the local Railways.

5.      As per News Reports, Western Railway is going to provide 14 AC trains shortly on suburban section with 12 coaches. This AC train can carry 600 (50*12) passengers as against non-AC train carrying 5000 passengers. Western Railway is thus prepared to reduce track capacity  to such a great extent by such unasked for facility for elites but do not want to follow laid down Policy of Government of India to provide SEPARATE ENTRANCE to their ageing ELDERS. When it can provide 2 coaches for handicapped in 12 coaches and 3 in 15 coach-trains & more & more Ladies Specials, reasons for their argument that separate coach for senior citizens cannot be provided by curtailing the available seats for general public, as there is no curtailment but increase of 1 seat by providing separate Entrance for 13 seats in lieu of 7 seats earmarked for senior citizens in 2 compartments.

12 lakh Senior Citizens of Mumbai will be thankful, if Mumbai BJP or any of the MPs become party to this PIL and bring out correct position to the notice of High Court and get us justice and this very much needed facility of separate entrance without much causing inconvenience to our younger generation, which is capable to travel of their own.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

(  M.V.Ruparelia  )