Pune station escalator synonymous with snags

Rs 1-cr equipment runs only 'occasionally', authorities say breakdowns inevitable in machines

Pune station escalator synonymous with snags

Rs 1-cr equipment runs only 'occasionally', authorities say breakdowns inevitable in machinesu00a0

The u00a0Rs 1-crore escalator, installed at Pune railway station in 1995, has literally seen more breakdowns than functional days. But railway officials seem to be little bothered about the recurring snags. "It's a machine, so breakdowns are expected," said YK Singh, Public Relations Officer of the Central Railway. When MiD DAY visited the station yesterday, the escalator wore an 'out of service' board.u00a0 "The equipment, which is meant to serve railway passengersu00a0-- particularly senior citizens and physically disabled people -- to cross the FOB in a short span of time, works only occasionally," said a passenger. And the days when the escalator is functional, the railway administration runs it during rush hoursu00a0-- between 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 9 pmu00a0-- only.

Not working: The escalator at the Pune railway station is often out of
service because of technical problems. Pic/Runal Gosavi

Misuse of facility
Harsha Shah from the Pune Railway Pravasi Sangh said, "People and students from Tadiwala Road use the escalator meant for railway passengers. These people also damage the machine by throwing pieces of paper and other waste, which get stuck in the equipment."

He added, "Why can't the railways appoint a full-time security guard to man the machine and also check whether valid ticket holders are using the escalator. There are escalators in Jaipur and Delhi railway stations. There dedicated security personnel have been depute for the safety of the escalator."

The private firm appointed by the railways was not capable of handling the affairs, Shah added. CR PRO Singh said, "The escalator is run only during peak hours and not the entire day."u00a0 When pointed out that the escalator often remains closed even during peak hours for repairing purposes, he said, "Technical snags are expected in a machine."