Senior citizens at wits' end as lifts and escalators remain closed; railways say they will resume operations in some time
A senior citizen is forced to use the stairs at LTT as the lifts are closed
Mumbai local train travellers have appealed to the railways to resume operations of the numerous lifts and escalators that have been lying unused at stations and termini since the lockdown began in March 2020.
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The escalators in Dadar have been barricaded ever since the lockdown in March. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
As per the latest statistics, about 6.5 lakh commuters use local train services on Central Railway and six lakh on the Western Railway in Mumbai every day, taking the total to about 12 lakh.
It is also a problem for passengers with luggage travelling on mail/express trains. "The closure of lifts and escalators is leading everyone to coolies who have been overcharging. Dragging a bag on the footbridge is a bad idea and many passengers are forced to hire coolies," Ritwick Joshi who came from Gujarat on Tuesday said.
He said that the subways too, have staircases and it would be easier if the railways made the escalators and lifts operational at least when an outstation train arrives or departs.
'Must be more considerate'
"Why are escalators kept closed at Kurla LTT? Also the subway and lifts are closed. Senior citizens are facing a huge difficulty climbing staircases and people are seen dragging heavy suitcase. The railways should be more considerate," Mushtaq Ansari of Pothole Warriors said.
"So many passengers use the trains now. The lines have also been opened for all lady commuters and passengers from all age groups, including seniors use trains. It becomes very difficult for them to climb the staircases," National Railway Users Consultative Committee member Subhash Gupta said.
"Local trains are running for essential services and ladies. They are the most affordable mode of transit, but we cannot use them even if we have to go for medical check-ups because there is no way to access the platform till lifts open. It is a cruel joke," Diwakar Shastry, a commuter from Borivli said.
'New bridges much higher'
Chandrashekhar Gulati, who works for a public sector bank and is a resident of Dombivli, said that he has some mobility issues and climbing the bridges does take time at stations. "The new bridges are much higher than the older ones. At least during the rush hour, the railways should open the escalators and elevators as we are allowed inside the station only after checks," he said.
Hamid Ansari, who came to LTT from a mail/express train said, "If the lift was functional, we could have got all our eight bags up on the footbridge in one go. We had to make three-four trips up and down."
Also Read: Passengers arriving in Mumbai pull chain to avoid COVID tests
Officials speak
Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said, "The passenger number was less when we started selected suburban services on June 15. But as the number is increasing, we have started re-opening escalators wherever required. Presently, we have re-opened escalators at Badlapur and Ghatkopar stations and soon will start at other stations too."
WR Chief Public Relations officer Sumit Thakur said, "Western Railway is deliberating opening up a few amenities, including escalators and elevators, as per demands from commuters. A decision in this regard will be taken keeping into consideration the medical and social protocols of COVID-19."
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