Spare the windows: Mumbai AC train passengers protest opaque ads

Spare the windows This is the earnest plea of AC local train commuters who claim that vinyl advertisements covering railway coaches are blocking visibility to such an extent that passing scenery and stations canrsquot be seen ldquoIt becomes claustrophobic even as the train is moving in daylight with doors and windows both covered insensitivelyrdquo a commuter saidG Chaudhari another commuter said ldquoMaking windows opaque for ads isnrsquot just poor aesthetics mdash it likely breaches railway safety and passenger amenity norms Under Indian RailwaysCentral Railway CR ad guidelines window panels must not block visibility light or emergency awareness in EMUs Revenue cannot override safetyrdquoAdvertising on nonairconditioned coaches where visibility isnrsquot hinderedAnsuman Satapathy a frequent passenger asked why the authorities had failed to consider passenger comfort before prioritising nonfare revenue NFR through fullbody advertisements ldquoIn jampacked local trains poor window visibility is a major safety and convenience concern for lakhs of commutersrdquo he addedCommuter VoicesMukhesh MakhijalsquoBeggars hawkers and unauthorised passengers move freely inside AC locals Reducing visibility further can become a security concern mdash especially for women and senior citizens Revenue generation is important but it should never come at the cost of passenger safety and convenience The authorities must review this immediately and restore clear window visibilityrsquoThe view afforded to passengers inside the compartment PicsRajendra B AklekarAditya PradhanlsquoBigger and wider windows were introduced for enhanced passenger experience and safety These advertisements defeat the entire purpose of having bigger windows If they really want to block sunlight they should come up with something at the manufacturing levelrsquoOfficials SpeakA CR spokespersonlsquoThere is 80 per cent visibility inside to outside but for those standing on the platform looking inside coaches the visibility is very low and it will depend on light intensity inside coaches During the day and night the lighting mode should be at 50 per cent and 100 per cent respectively We are verifying whether or not this rule is being followedrsquoTest rideWhen midday inspected one such EMU the train was found to be covered by advertisements for an ice cream company From inside a compartment visibility was poor due to the haphazard glue markings behind the wrapping While the intention was to facilitate 80 per cent visibility thick layers of glue hindered one from clearly viewing the outside of the coachRailwaysrsquo policy on train windowsFor AC coaches vinyl wrapping is permitted on windows buthellipgtgt 70 per cent visibility from inside must be maintainedgtgt Perforatedseethrough film must be usedgtgt Safety markings coach numbers and statutory information cannot be obscuredgtgt Emergency exit markings must remain clearly visibleRailwaysrsquo nonfare revenue streamWhat is itAC locals look expensive to run but Indian Railways quietly earns a lot from them through ads branding fibre cables renting out station space and especially train vinyl wrappingHow does it workRailways sell threemonth advertising rights to agencies and the agency in turn sells them to brands Railways collect fixed contract revenue guaranteed income They receive licence fees from advertising contractorsThe whyRail advertising works because commuters see ads every day Mumbai local trains carry massive captive audiences and visibility Ticket prices on suburban railways are politically frozen Vinyl wrapping makes the trains moving billboards that quietly help fund Mumbairsquos suburban rail system In Mumbai it is especially important because the suburban network runs at operational losses and ads help offset costsAdmanrsquos viewsMayur Borkar senior advertising professional who runs Unique AdvertisinglsquoMumbai has developed a full transitmedia economy in which public transport vehicles double as advertising assets But the way it is done is incorrect Firstly covering windows is a safety risk if not done properly Globally wrappings are not done so extensively Secondly vinyl is inflammable In case of an EV vehicle fire or pantograph sparks it is the vinyl that will turn vehicles into a death traprsquo