26 August,2014 12:57 AM IST | | A Correspondent
In a special drive prompted by the rising cases of trespassing since January, the Pune railway division has been catching the culprits red-handed
crossing railway tracks
As many as 33 people were sent to prison by the Pune Railway Division for trespassing in June and July alone, the railway administration has revealed. According to a recent half-yearly report, a record 28,332 cases of trespassing had been registered between January and June this year, prompting the administration to launch a special drive to catch the culprits in the act.
Despite several awareness drives and hefty fines, the number of trespassing incidents has only continued to rise over the past few months. File pic
Since January, the Pune division has recorded the highest number of trespassing incidents in the past three years, including 380 deaths on the train tracks. The administration and the Government Railway Police (GRP) have been conducting surprise checks at platforms, and in the past two months have charged 3,359 for crossing railway lines illegally.
"The figures clearly show that the number of trespassers has increased alarmingly. In order to save some time, people ignore the foot over bridges (FOB) and tend to cross the railway tracks illegally," said Yogendra Kumar Singh, PRO for the Pune division, adding, "They do not realise that they can lose their lives while crossing the tracks. They listen to music or speak on the phone while crossing tracks which only increases the possibility of mishaps."
"Time and again we have conducted awareness drives to educate citizens about the consequences of crossing railway tracks illegally. It is important they realise that they should use the FOBs that have been installed at every railway station. We will be intensifying the drive in the coming days so that it can make some impact on the mindset of people," said Singh.
Rs 36lakh
The amount collected in trespassing fines in the Pune division between January and June this year
